Seasons Change as Time Flies
by Chameleon777
Summary: Sequel to "Sides of a Story." While some people leave, others return from exile, and evil that has lurked under rocks of darkness resurface to trouble those left behind that endure life in total fear...READ AND REVIEW!
1. Doors that Close and Open

**There was a sad silence in the small office as a pen was laid to rest on a desk. The lawyer seated behind the desk gave the couple a sad smile and gathered up the papers to file away. **

**Carter looked at Kem with a deep sadness in his eyes over the decision that they had made and finalized. He was expecting to see sadness in Kem's eyes, but it was not there.**

**After a long time of discussion and even a bit of marriage counselling, Kem and Carter had amicably come to the decision that their marriage was not working and it was better off terminated. They both grieved for their lost son, but while Carter managed to move on, Kem was unable to do so.**

**Desiring to part sooner than later, they had each taken a few sick days from work and had managed to get through the divorce process rather quickly and now, with the papers signed, it was final. **

"**This is for the best, John," Kem said, rising from her chair. "It's just too hard to be with you anymore. It's been a long while, but I still grieve over Joshua. I thought I was getting better, but that whole call from the contractor to offer to build the center put me over the edge."**

**Carter nodded, tears in his eyes, "What are your plans now?" he asked, trying to be civil.**

"**A few weeks ago, when we realized that it was not going to work, I began looking into options that would allow me to continue my work as a doctor, yet feel some peace in my life," Kem said, holding back any trace of emotion. "I signed up with Doctors Without Borders and I am going overseas tomorrow."**

**Sighing, Carter remained silent. He knew that Kem would not want to stay once she was on her own.**

**Taking Carter's silence as acceptance of the decisions made, Kem managed a half-smile and quietly left the office without looking back. Carter gazed at the lawyer, who was smiling sympathetically.**

**Carter sighed and gazed back at the closed door, "Life never gets easier," he whispered softly.**

* * *

"**Do you ever rest, Dave?" Dr. Faith asked, as she walked into the room and saw Dave painstakingly pulling himself from his bed into a nearby wheelchair. "You ARE allowed to rest, you know."**

**Dave chuckled and let out a cough, "Weaver assigned me to visit a psychiatrist today, at this late hour," he moaned. "She says that I don't get any supper until I speak with Psych about being hit by Carter's car."**

**Amy smiled and gripped the handles of the wheelchair, "Well, I'll wheel you over to your session so that you don't kill yourself before you get there," she said, slowly wheeling Dave from the room. "I understand how you feel about psychiatrists, but you should just go along with the motions, it's much easier."**

**As they went into the elevator, Dave sighed, "I was hit by Carter's car, I had my spleen out, I've forgiven him and moved on from it," he explained, as the elevator rose. "What more is there to say?'**

**Within seconds, they had arrived on the Psych floor, "It seems really simple, but I'm sure the psychiatrist will want to explore your feelings about each part of what happened," she said, as she wheeled Dave to the nurses station. "What you went through was interesting and very memorable."**

**Before he could reply, Dave, who agreed with Dr. Faith's words, was told by an on-duty nurse that the psychiatrist would see him right away. Sighing, Dave allowed himself to be rolled towards his office.**

**Smiling, Amy turned back and walked back to the elevators. It was time to go home and get back to work.**

* * *

**After hours of driving silently through the streets of Chicago with thoughts weighing on his mind, Carter found himself parked in front of Dr. Faith's clinic. It was a wonder he hadn't crashed.**

**The day had been hard, Carter thought, as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, desperately needing a little bit of rest. The amount of emotion used over the past few weeks had drained him.**

_**Tap, tap, tap**_

_**Startled, Carter opened his eyes and saw Nathan standing outside his window, looking concerned.**_

_**Rolling down his window, Carter spoke tiredly, "Nathan, hi there," he said. "I was just having a rest in my car. It's been a long day for me and I'm quite tired."**_

_**Nathan raised an eyebrow, "You just happened to pull over and fall asleep in your car in front of my mom's clinic?" he asked, suspicious of Carter's excuse. "Why don't you come in for a while?"**_

_**Grateful for a distraction, Carter unbuckled his seat belt and quickly got out of his car, "It's a little late, Nathan," he commented, as he locked his car and followed Nathan inside. "Shouldn't you be at home eating and doing homework?"**_

_**While he waited for a reply, Carter, very weary, sunk into a wheelchair and slouched. He sighed, after being on his feet all day, sitting felt so good.**_

"_**Are you all right, Doctor Carter?" Nathan asked, concerned at Carter's fatigue.**_

_**Carter nodded tiredly, "As I said, it's been a long day," he replied.**_

_**Nathan nodded, "I understand," he said. "Anyway, my mom's off visiting Doctor Dave at the hospital, but she should be back pretty soon…."**_

_**Suddenly, Dr. Faith, who had taken a fast train back from County, came in just as Nathan had finished speaking. Right away, she noticed Carter was sitting in a wheelchair, looking tired.**_

"_**John, what are you doing here?" Dr. Faith asked, concerned at the way he looked. "Is everything all right?"**_

_**There was silence. Realizing that Nathan was still there, Dr. Faith looked at him expectantly.**_

"_**Nathan, you can go home and help Lucas with Renee and Katie now," Dr. Faith said, smiling at her eldest son. "Perhaps you can even phone Rachel and chat for a few minutes. I understand, from talking with her father earlier, that she is home and would enjoy a phone call from a friend."**_

_**Turning a shade of light pink, Nathan grinned and quickly jogged out of the clinic.**_

"_**So, Nathan has a soft spot for Mark's daughter?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.**_

_**Dr. Faith smiled, "Yes, I think it's rather cute to see Nathan all lovesick," she replied. "So, you never did tell me exactly why you came by here tonight."**_

_**Carter sighed, "The divorce was finalized today," he admitted wearily. "Kem signed up to go join Doctors Without Borders somewhere overseas. I'm just feeling drained from the whole divorce process."**_

"_**Oh, John, I'm so sorry to hear that," Dr. Faith said, taking a seat in a plastic chair nearby. "I understand that once a family is made, it is devastating when it falls apart."**_

_**Carter sighed, "Nathan said that you were visiting Malucci at County," he commented, changing the subject. "How is he doing now?"**_

"_**Even though he's still pretty tired, Dave is physically doing a lot better than he was," Dr. Faith commented, smiling, as she noticed the sudden change in discussion topic. "Doctor Kovac and his son visit with Dave a lot and are still looking after Daniel. Even though Dave is sick, he wants Daniel to stay in school and is grateful for Doctor Kovac's help."**_

_**Sitting up a little straighter, Carter spoke, "Hey, Amy, do you want to grab some dinner with me?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't be offended by the request. "I'm feeling a little hungry now."**_

_**Amy didn't honestly feel like going out on a dinner date with anyone at the moment. However, she felt horrible that Carter had such a crappy time with the divorce and wanted to make him feel better.**_

"_**Sure, John, I wouldn't mind sharing a meal with you," Dr. Faith said, smiling as she stood up. "Why don't you pick the place and we'll go and enjoy ourselves."**_

_**Carter nodded and, standing up, he offered his arm to Dr. Faith. He looked at her eagerly.**_

_**Even though she thought it a little awkward, Dr. Faith took his arm and they left the clinic together.**_

_**In truth, neither of them were actually looking for a relationship to develop, as neither of them felt emotionally ready for it. However, it was nice to develop a secure friendship and that's what it was.**_

_

* * *

_

_**A chuckle rang out as water from a glass pitcher splashed out of a glass goblet and on to a pristine tablecloth. There were sudden footsteps and a horrified gasp.**_

"_**Sorry about that," Carter mumbled, slightly embarrassed, as he watched the now annoyed waiter mop up the puddle of water from the once pristine tablecloth. "I'm a little clumsy."**_

_**Amy sucked in a breath and waited in silence as the waiter finished mopping the water up and moved away from the table. Then, smiling, she burst into quiet, yet mischievous laughter.**_

_**Carter was silent, then he began laughing. People around them glared and were murmuring to each other about the unnecessary noise, but neither Carter nor Amy cared, they were just enjoying themselves.**_

_**Having received many complaints about the noisy couple, the manager walked over to them, "I am sorry, Mr. Carter, but you and your date will need to leave immediately," he said. "You are making a lot of unnecessary noise and the customers are complaining about your uncouth and immature manners."**_

_**Carter nodded and got to his feet, trying not to laugh. Amy stood and they left the restaurant, much to the relief of the customers who had complained about their shenanigans.**_

"_**Oh, that was embarrassing," Carter commented, as they stepped out into the cool night air. "I've never been thrown out of a restaurant before. Perhaps we might be better off taking a walk and talking?"**_

_**Amy nodded, "I'd like that very much, John," she said, taking his offered arm.**_

_**Peals of amused laughter rang out as Amy and Carter walked away from the restaurant.**_


	2. First Day Redux

Abby sighed and played with a strand of her black hair as she sat on the park bench, anxiously waiting for Luka to arrive. Hopefully, he would bring Joe, and they could spend some time together.

_Ha, like Luka will bring Joe anywhere near me anymore. _Abby thought, as she reflected on the day that Luka had gained sole custody of their son in the near empty courtroom. That day had been agonizing as she had to watch her once beloved husband successfully plead his case as a fit parent to a judge.

It had been a long time, Abby reflected, since she had been in Chicago. It was very strange to be back.

After the hearing, Abby had run home, packed her stuff, and was far away from Chicago in a matter of hours. For months, she had stayed with her mother, but that was just too much, so she had fled west.

Following a brief stint in rehab for her alcoholism, she had appealed to the merciful treatment physicians and, expressing remorse about what she had done, she was given a job as an in-patient counselor.

Of course, it wasn't just her remorse that had gotten her that job, Abby remembered.

It was the fact that a call to Kerry Weaver, who had continued being her friend after all that had happened, had prompted the facility directors to hire her to help others who had walked a similar path and regretted it.

In hopes that she would one day return and reconcile with Luka, Kerry had also given her Luka's new cell-phone number through emails. For the longest time, Abby had been hesitant to get in contact with Luka.

Finally, after a lot of discussion with her new colleagues, Abby had finally decided to call Luka.

"Abby, what is it you wanted to meet with me about?" a Croatian voice suddenly spoke out of nowhere, pulling Abby from her reflection of the past.

Abby looked up from the bench and saw Luka standing there, dressed in a black greatcoat. She stood and, instead of wanting to hug him, she merely studied him. _Luka looks good_, she thought to herself.

"How have you been, Luka?" Abby asked, taking a step away from him. "How is Joe doing?"

Luka sighed, he was already feeling uncomfortable at meeting her, "Abby, it's been a long time," he said, trying to think of what to say. "How did you figure out how to contact me?"

Not wanting to get Kerry into trouble, Abby shrugged, "I have my ways," she stated. "I haven't come back to Chicago to live. I merely came to visit you."

"What have you been up to since you left Chicago?" Luka asked, wary of what she might tell him.

Abby sighed, "I live out west now," she said, not wishing to go into detail about her new life. "I'm working on rebuilding my life. I went through a rehab program and now I'm taking one day at a time."

"Look, Abby, I didn't bring Joe with me," Luka suddenly blurted out, as he was feeling uncomfortable about being here and wanting to leave. "I thought this would be easier if it was just the two of us."

Abby nodded, "Luka, I already knew that Joe would not be coming with you," she replied. "The truth is, ever since I woke up from the blackout, I have come to terms with the fact that I can never be the mother that Joe needs. Even though I gave birth to him, I can no longer acknowledge Joe as my son."

Sighing, Luka nodded, "I understand," he said, as he checked his watch. "Look, I hate to run, but I need to get back to the hospital. I'm only supposed to be on a short break."

"It's all right," Abby said. "I have to get going anyway. See you later, Luka."

Turning away, Abby silently walked off. The tension was gone, but definitely not forgotten.

For a moment, Luka watched her go. Then, with a deep sigh, he turned away and walked back to his car.

* * *

It was finally here. The day that Dave Malucci returned to County as a doctor had arrived.

Even though he had just been released two days before, and was staying with Luka, as he still needed to take it very easy, there was complete agreement in that Dave could do light medical duty.

Since Luka had gotten up early and, taking Joe with him, taken Daniel to school, Dave had gotten dressed and, not wanting to walk several blocks, had taken the EL-train to County.

Of course, as he would have in the past, Dave didn't go rushing in and declare to all that he had returned.

Instead, he had walked slowly up the ambulance bay and lingered at the doors that led to the ER.

_It's going to be hard to actually set foot inside as a doctor. There's a lot of memories here._

_Letting out a sigh, Dave mustered all of his courage and slowly, he walked through the doors and didn't stop walking until he reached the desk. Thankfully, nobody was at the desk at the moment._

"_Doctor Malucci, you're early," Kerry Weaver spoke up, coming up behind him. "That's a good start."_

_Dave nodded, trying not to show his nervousness, "It's a little strange to be back here, Doctor Weaver," he admitted. "However, I'm sure I'll get used to working here again."_

_Kerry smiled, "Well, I've figured out something useful for you to do so you feel more comfortable working here again," she said. "I want you to supervise a medical student named Ray Barnett."_

_Before Dave could reply, the door to the lounge opened and a younger man dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt that had an offensive logo on it, sauntered out of the lounge. He folded his arms and glared at Dave._

"_So, you're Doctor Malucci, huh?" Ray sneered, as he studied Dave with a frown. "I left my paradise in Baton Rouge and came here only to be held on a leash by someone else?"_

_Kerry glared at Ray, "Don't push your luck, Barnett," she snapped. "Anspaugh was very generous to allow you to finish medical school here. Don't screw it up like you did in Baton Rouge."_

_For a moment, Ray looked like he was going to punch Dr. Weaver out, however, he instead sighed, "I'll get my coat out of the lounge and do what I'm asked," he said, stalking back into the lounge._

"_Don't worry about him, Doctor Malucci," Kerry reassured Dave, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Ray's got some problems, but I'm sure you'll be able to do a good job supervising him."_

_Dave nodded, but, before he could reply, ambulances with their sirens wailing pulled up in the bay._

"_MVA on the south highway," a paramedic shouted as gurneys containing seriously injured people began to stream into the ER. "There are five more ambulances en route, about ten minutes away."_

_Pandemonium ensued as several doctors and nurses appeared out of nowhere and began to shuttle the injured victims throughout the emergency room. Kerry quickly began to run off towards the trauma room._

"_Doctor Malucci, grab Doctor Barnett out of the lounge and then come help in the trauma rooms!" Kerry shouted, as she was whisked away in the ensuing traffic that was filling the hallways._

_Dave nodded and sighed, "Barnett, let's go," he said, as Ray, who was now wearing a white coat and a stethoscope round his neck, came out of the lounge and nearly ran into an oncoming gurney. "We're needed to help out in the trauma rooms."_

_Ray scoffed, obviously not wanting to do any actual work with patients, but, in silence, he moved past Dave and hurried off to the trauma room. Dave sighed, Barnett would have to learn to carry a better attitude._

_Being careful not to crash into anyone, Dave worked his way through the ER. He had reached the door to the first trauma room and could hear the dreaded sound of a flatline._

_Without warning, Dave began to shake and perspire uncontrollably. Panic seized up in his chest, he could barely breathe, his body was quickly becoming numb. The world was fading into one large blur._

_Suddenly, Dave vomited on the floor. Even though his sight was blurry, he could see someone coming towards him and saying words that he couldn't understand, as his ears didn't seem to be functioning._

_Letting out a wheeze, Dave swayed backwards and promptly lost consciousness as he hit the floor._


	3. Destabilized Inner Walls

"...Doctor Greene, he's waking up," a voice that seemed far away said.

Feeling as if he took a brick to the skull, Dave groaned and opened his eyes to find himself suddenly blinded by light, "What-?" he gasped, his voice weak. "Am..Am I dead?"

"Barnett, get that light out of his eyes NOW!" Mark snapped, as he could see that Ray shining a penlight directly into Dave's eyes was causing Dave's blood pressure to spike.

Ray scoffed, but moved the penlight away, "Why'd I have to be stuck with a chronic collapser?" he whined. "I'm a medical student and I want to be doing stuff to help me become a doctor..."

Trying to calm down, Dave blinked and slowly, as his vision came back into focus, he realized that he was laying on a gurney in one of the trauma rooms. He had several IV's in both of his arms.

From what he could see, Dr. Greene had escorted Ray from the trauma room and was now yelling at him in the hallway. Dave suddenly felt warmers being wrapped around his hands.

Wondering what was happening, Dave suddenly felt intense panic rising in his chest.

"It's all right, Doctor Malucci, just relax," Haleh said, as she saw that Dave was starting to panic yet again. "You fainted just outside the trauma room."

Realizing that he had suffered a panic attack and collapsed at the sound of the earlier flatline, Dave groaned, "I'm supposed to be working right now," he murmured. "I'm gonna get yelled at..."

"Just relax, breathe into this," Lydia said, as she gently placed a mask over Dave's face.

As Dave took a breath, he saw Ray walk off in anger and Dr. Greene walked back into the trauma room, "How's he doing?" he asked Haleh and Lydia, unaware that Dave was now awake.

"Why don't you ask Doctor Malucci that?" Haleh said, as she finished applying the warmers.

Frowning, Dr. Greene moved further into the trauma room and saw that Dave was awake, "How are you feeling, Doctor Malucci?"

"Tired," Dave replied, moving the mask away from his face. "How did I end up in here?"

For a moment, Dr. Greene didn't reply, instead gently placing electrodes from a nearby machine all over Dave's chest, "You were coming to help out with that trauma a few hours ago," he explained, as he programmed the heart monitor. "You suddenly got sick and passed out..."

"I'm supposed to be working," Dave replied, even though he felt too tired to even move.

Mark nodded, as it was clear that Dave obviously cared about doing a good job, "Carter was called in to cover the rest your shift," he explained. "You're being admitted for observation."

"I just got out of the hospital," Dave groggily replied. "I've got medical expenses to pay off..."

Seeing that Dave was quickly getting to the point where he was ready to sleep, Mark nodded, "It's all right, we'll talk about your shifts when you're feeling better," he stated. "Just get some sleep."

"Call Luka, ask him to pick Daniel up after school and look after him for me," Dave murmured, as he drifted off to sleep. "He's off today, spending time with Joe, so he should be home..."

As Dave slept, the steady beep of the heart monitor drowned out all other movements.

* * *

Having closed the clinic for a few hours, as they were short on supplies and wouldn't recieve any more until the next day, Amy had ended up at County, wanting to check in on Dave.

It had been a long day, Amy thought, as she walked up the quiet ambulance bay and into the busy ER. She expected that Dave, along with everyone else, would be too busy to talk for long.

At her insistence, Dr. Romano had put Dave on a 12 hour shift so that the returning doctor could have a chance to properly re-adjust. She had gracefully kept her distance all day.

However, as she truly cared about Dave and how he was adjusting to being back in a setting that had once caused him great emotional pain, Amy just had to see how things were going.

"Evening, Amy," Carter said, smiling as he saw his girlfriend approach the desk.

Amy smiled, "I didn't know you were working tonight, John," she replied, leaning on the desk.

Realizing that Amy didn't yet know of what had happened to Dave, Carter's smile suddenly faded and he swallowed hard, "Amy, I wasn't supposed to be working tonight," he said, his voice full of deep worry. "I was called in by Doctor Greene to cover the rest of Dave's shift...It's a bit slow right now, though, so I'm just covering the desk while Jerry's on a break..."

"John, why were you called in to cover the rest of Dave's shift?" Amy asked, suddenly concerned as to what had happened. "Did something happen to Dave?"

Carter was silent for a moment, then sighed, "We had a trauma come in and as Dave came to help out, he suddenly got sick and collapsed in front of the trauma room doors," he stated.

Frowning, Amy nodded, "Where is Dave now?" she asked, sounding very concerned.

"Doctor Greene admitted Dave for observation and put him in Exam Four," Carter explained, worried by the deeply concerned look on Amy's face. "You can see him if you want..."

Taking a look at the pile of unfinished charts on the desk, Amy sighed, "I can give you a hand for a few minutes, if you want," she offered. "That way, we can visit Dave together..."

"I don't think Dave wants to be around too many people right now, Amy," Carter said, his voice full of worry. "His vital signs are all over the place...I heard he almost crashed from hypotension..."

As if she knew what was wrong with Dave, Amy nodded, "Dave will be physically fine by tomorrow, probably," she stated. "Anyway, I should go and see him..."

"Amy, years ago, I was stabbed by a patient and nearly died," Carter said, as he released the chart and took her hand in his own. "For a long time afterwards, I turned to drugs to take the pain away and although I've been clean for years...It's just not a road I'd want Dave to turn to..."

"John, I appreciate your concern," Amy replied in a sad voice. "However, I can't really discuss this with you, or with anyone, without Dave's permission. There's a lot I can't really tell anyone...I gave my word to Dave a long time ago and I intend to keep it...Even if it causes a lot of grief..."

Feeling as if she had just hurt Carter's feelings, Amy pulled her hand away and walked off towards the exam rooms. Carter frowned and sighing, he went back to working through the pile of charts.

* * *

Aware that Lydia was checking his vitals, Dave lay there, listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor in absolute silence. Fortunately, Lydia took Dave's silence for pure exhaustion.

Not that Dave wasn't exhausted, as he was very exhausted: only the fact that he was covered by a blanket, IV's were in his arms, and warmers were wrapped around his hands, kept him calm.

The electrodes were still on his chest, underneath the top of his scrub shirt, but only as a precaution. Mark would take them off in the morning if there were no problems during the night.

In all honesty, although he would never admit it to anyone, Dave felt like absolute garbage.

Mark had also phoned Luka and explained the situation, ordering him to tell Daniel that Dave was merely going to be working all night. For if Daniel knew Dave was sick, he would worry.

Now, while Mark had gone off sleeping in another exam room and left the ER under Carter's supervision, Dave was considered a patient: if only for overnight, instead of being on call.

The door quietly opened and Dave closed his eyes, figuring it was Carter come to check on him.

"Dave?" a gentle voice asked.

Frowning, as it wasn't Carter's voice, but a woman's, Dave opened his eyes, "Amy?" he asked, his voice weak and full of surprise, as he saw Amy standing beside his bed, next to Lydia.

Smiling as Lydia moved around to the other side, Amy grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pulled it over to beside the gurney, "I came to see how you were doing on your first day back and John told me what happened," she explained, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Your vitals look okay, Doctor Malucci," Lydia suddenly said, as she wrote some notes on the chart and placed it on the portable table. "Take it easy and I'll look in on you in a few hours."

Unsure of what to say, Dave managed a small nod. Lydia smiled at him and left the room.

"Was it a flashback about Grenada that caused the panic attack?" Dr. Faith asked, as she looked directly into his eyes with warm concern.

Knowing that Dr. Faith was one person that he couldn't lie to, Dave nodded, "I was going to help out with an incoming trauma and the sound of a flatline set me off," he explained, his voice quiet. "I don't understand why it's happening now, when I'm trying very hard to be responsible..."

"Panic attacks often come up when there's a trigger, you and I both know that," Dr. Faith replied in a gentle tone. "Flatlines didn't affect you like this before, as you were in a different stage of the whole post-traumatic process. Now that you've developed new maturity, it affects you differently."

A tear suddenly rolled down Dave's cheek, "I have to keep it together, nobody must ever know that I had a rocky time in Grenada," he said in a nervous voice. "It's been too hard for me to bounce back...If I'm seen as weak, it will just be a harsh reminder of past failures..."

"Dave, you can't let past pain ruin opportunities to come," Amy stated. "However, for now, I think you need to rest and not talk about this until you're physically feeling better...Right now, I want you to close your eyes and try not to dream...I'll stay here until you are asleep, all right?"

Suddenly feeling very safe about relying on the advice that had kept him from completely falling apart in the past, Dave nodded and closed his eyes. He relaxed and tried not to think of anything.

Although he would have to deal with the past someday, it didn't have to happen that very evening.

However, even though Dave nor Amy knew it at that moment, trouble from the past would soon resurface that would threaten to destabilize all that had been built in recent years.

* * *

Just after midnight, Jerry was alone at the desk, trying to get through the paperwork that Frank had left in the in box. However, he found himself most distracted by computer games.

Dr. Faith had remained with Dave for nearly an hour and then after speaking with Carter and Dr. Greene, she had taken Ray with her back to the clinic, as there was still work to be done.

Even though Ray was Dave's medical student, Mark thought that the cocky medical student could use a lesson in humility. Therefore, Dr. Faith had taken Ray with her to the clinic, as Nathan was currently in charge at home and that is how Dr. Faith kept her troubled eldest son from trouble: giving him the responsibility of looking after his younger siblings while she worked.

Mark was still resting in one of the exam rooms and Carter had since retreated to the lounge for a rest, since the ER was slow. Once the ER got busy, both doctors would again be on their feet.

"Doctor Malucci, maybe I should wake Mark or Carter to see what they think of this..." the worried voice of Lydia suddenly sounded out from down the hallway.

Confused, Jerry turned away from the computer screen just in time to see Dave, who had pulled out all his IV's, taken the warmers off, and detached the electrodes, coming down the hallway.

"Jerry, just sign me out AMA," Dave ordered in a tired voice. "I'm going home to bed."

Jerry gave Lydia a look, as he suddenly wondered if Dr. Malucci was thinking rationally, "Uh, maybe I should see if anyone's awake," he said, nervous about Dave's suddenly aggressive demeanor. "You don't look well..."

Dave scoffed in annoyance and walked past the desk and into the lounge. A moment later, he emerged wearing a light jacket. There was a determined look on his face, but he felt tired.

"I don't care if I get yelled at for leaving AMA," Dave said, as he walked towards the doors. "I will feel much better if I rest at home, in my own bed. Tell Doctor Greene that I have the flu or whatever...I'll feel better after I get some rest, so I'll make up my missed shifts..."

Falling silent, Dave stuffed his hands in his pockets and quickly stalked out of the ER.

Very concerned as to whether or not Dave was okay, Lydia shot Jerry a look and reached for the phone. What had happened wasn't considered normal and help was needed to deal with it.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Dave scoffed and pounded on his door in utter frustration at the note. He had been there for twenty minutes and anger filled his very soul.

Upon arriving back at his and Daniel's apartment, there was an eviction notice pinned to the door and a big box containing personal items and books was beside the now locked door.

Everything else, which was second-hand anyway, had been thrown out, according to the note...all the furniture, clothes, and kitchen appliances were now gone..

Taking a deep breath, Dave ripped the notice from the door, stashed the paper in his jacket pocket, picked up the box and turned away from the locked door.

It was fortunate that Daniel was staying with Luka and Joe, Dave thought, as he silently walked down the many hallways and eventually out into the cold night. Luka would at least ensure that Daniel was taken care of, something that he himself had had a difficult time doing.

Since Daniel was born, Dave had kept himself surviving on a bare minimum of food, used clothing, and other resources so that Daniel could have every advantage possible.

Things had always been decent, but after Dave had lost his job at County, he often went without food for days and wore out his clothes to keep Daniel from suffering the effects of destitution.

Without realizing, it, Dave suddenly found himself crying as he kept moving forward.

They were homeless, he was having trouble keeping his past submerged in his heart so that the work to pay for medical care could be completed. Dave truly felt lost and didn't know what to do.

Since leaving his locked apartment, Dave figured he had walked for at least an hour, although he was unaware of it because he was so deeply in thoughts that he could no longer control.

Suddenly realizing that he felt like an icicle, Dave looked up and realized that he was standing outside Luka's apartment building. His arms felt like lead from carrying the box for so long.

Swallowing hard, Dave staggered into the building and went looking for Luka's apartment.

After what seemed like an eternity, Dave found the correct door and instantly hesitated.

More than likely, Luka, Joe, and Daniel would all be asleep and nobody would answer the door.

However, Dave reasoned, he needed help and for once, maybe fate would be on his side.

Groaning, Dave painstakingly lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

There were several moments of silence. Dave sighed, nobody was available to help him.

As he turned away to figure out what to do next, there was a sudden click as the door unlocked and opened. Dave turned to find himself staring at Luka, who was wearing pajama pants and an old t-shirt. For a moment, Dave stared at Luka in silence and then began to shiver uncontrollably. He was barely aware that Luka was suddenly frowning in concern.

"Luka, I need help," Dave whispered, as he hugged himself to keep warm. "I need help."


	4. Turbulence Set On High

Despite the frigid air, a lone figure was out, fully prepared for the cold and ready to cause pain.

As he turned the corner on to the street where the clinic was located, Elton Douglas allowed a malicious smile to cross his lips. He was staring at the clinic that Amy and Malucci ran.

By all rights, Elton thought as he started towards the clinic, both Amy and Malucci should have died in Grenada years ago. Unfortunately, his multiple attempts at doing away with them failed.

It had taken a lot of years, but Elton had finally found his ex again and he wasn't surprised to see that she was still good friends with Dave Malucci. It was time to put her life through torture.

Allowing himself another malicious grin, Elton fingered the knife that was stashed in the pocket of the coat he had acquired by force. That witch deserved no less than was coming to her and the children, although they were all his biologically, would be made to suffer heavily in time.

Payback would be strong, quick, and cause multiple people suffering, as it was meant to.

* * *

"I don't know why Doctor Greene didn't just let me go home for the night," Ray grumbled, as he pulled sweat-covered sheets from the beds that were in the common recovery area. "I'm a medical student, not a janitor...Doesn't this clinic have an actual janitor?"

From her desk, which was in the corner of the room, Dr. Faith, who was working on charts from patients earlier in the day, shook her head and ignored the complaints. She had dealt with guys like Ray before and a little janitorial work was a great way to instill humility in them.

"You won't die from having to change the sheets, Barnett," Dr. Faith replied, as she set another signed off chart in the metal box beside the desk. "When you're done with the beds, there's a bucket and mop in the supply closet...I need the common recovery room mopped tonight."

Ray grumbled, but finished stripping the beds and tossed the sheets into a laundry bag. He then moved off towards the back of the clinic, where the supply closet was located, for clean sheets and the mop.

Fighting the urge to laugh, Dr. Faith sighed and leaned back in her chair, she was exhausted.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Amy sighed and got up from her chair.

Even though it was early in the morning, the clinic had never turned anyone in need away.

As she came to the front doors, Amy suddenly froze in horror: Elton was standing outside with a large rock in his hand. She looked around worriedly, Ray was still in the supply closet.

Before she could stop him, Elton threw the rock at the glass, instantly shattering it.

"Now, my little Amy, where is the illustrious Doctor Malucci?" Elton hissed, as he stepped over the broken pane and pushed her against the wall roughly. "It's been too long since we talked..."

There was movement in the back, "Doctor Faith, I can't find the sheets or the bucket-" Ray said, as he walked into the room and suddenly froze at the sight of Elton holding Dr. Faith against a wall.

"Now, my dear ex-wife, why don't you introduce me to this...I don't know what he is," Elton angrily ordered, as he whipped his hand out of his pocket and put a knife to Amy's throat.

Realizing that Dr. Faith was becoming increasingly uncomfortable at this strangely aggressive man's presence, Ray moved over to Elton, "Look, buddy, I don't think Doctor Faith wants you here, so why don't you just leave?" he suggested, a warning tone in his voice.

"Ooh, the skinny bean pole has an attitude!" Elton crowed, amused at this skinny punk was standing up to him despite being unarmed. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Gritting his teeth, Ray scoffed, "I'm Ray Barnett, a medical student," he replied, his tone sharp.

"WOW!" Elton shouted, even more amused at this situation. "That's absolutely incredible, Amy, you and that dirtbag Malucci managed to get your hands on a medical student!"

Knowing that this armed stranger could cause some serious trouble if something wasn't done, Ray lunged at Elton, knocking him to the floor. Amy put a hand over her mouth and gasped.

Unfortunately, Elton quickly slashed the knife across Ray's forehead and, after punching the younger man repeatedly in the nose, he had slammed Ray to the floor, knocking him out.

"Never mind Malucci, I'll deal with him another time," Elton snapped, as he grabbed hold of Amy and roughly pulled her close to him. "You and I, my dear, have a lot of catching up to do..."

Despite the fact that Elton could kill her at any time, Amy summoned all of her internal courage and pulled the nearest fire alarm. As the alarm rang and the sprinklers suddenly started, Elton slapped Amy across the face. Despite it hurting, Amy didn't even wince.

"LET'S GO!" Elton shouted, as he forcefully dragged Amy from the clinic, as he didn't want to be around when rescue showed up to respond to the alarm and found the injured Ray.

As she was dragged into the night, Amy silently prayed that not only Ray would be found and given proper help, but that both her children and Dave would be safe from Elton.

* * *

Across the city, Luka quietly ushered the nearly frozen Dave inside and closed the door.

"What happened to you?" Luka asked, as he watched Dave sink on to the couch, clutching a box and a tattered piece of paper in his hands.

Suddenly realizing that the box felt like a ton of bricks, Dave loosened his grip and allowed both the box and the paper to slide to the carpet, "I'm so tired, Luka," he said, his voice listless.

Concerned, Luka sat down on the couch beside Dave, "I thought you were being kept overnight in the ER for observation," he commented, wondering what Dave was even doing there.

"I left AMA nearly two hours ago and I've been walking around, trying to make sense of my screwed up life," Dave replied quietly. "My past is crap and the future looks just as awful."

Luka was silent for a moment and he suddenly noticed the piece of paper next to the box, "You were evicted from your apartment?" he asked, as he picked the paper up and skimmed it.

"It's not like I'm making any money working at County this time," Dave replied. "The only reason that I'm being allowed to work there again is to pay off my medical bill. I bet that once the bill is paid, Weaver will be more than happy to send me into the streets yet again..."

Sighing, Luka rolled the paper up and slipped it into the pocket of his pajama pants, "Take my bed for the rest of the night, Dave," he said, as he rose from the couch. "I'll make you some NeoCitrin so that you'll sleep easier...It's usually for colds, but it'll help you warm up..."

As Luka walked towards the kitchen, the ongoing silence unnerved him. Something wasn't right.

"Dave, what's wrong?" Luka asked, as he turned around and saw that Dave hadn't moved.

Dave was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I have no strength left to move," he stated.

Mentally kicking himself, as he should have realized that Dave was exhausted, Luka gently took hold of Dave's hands and gently hoisted the tired doctor to his feet, "Just stay awake long enough for me to get you into bed," he said, as he led Dave through the living room and into his bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Dave groggily asked, as he was gently eased into a resting position and felt Luka pull his soaked jacket off.

Luka pulled Dave's worn shoes off and set them on the floor, "That jacket is doing more harm than good right now and you'll be more comfortable with your shoes off." he said.

"Is Daniel sound asleep?" Dave muttered, worried that his emotional display woke Daniel.

Nodding, Luka covered Dave with blankets, "He and Joe are both sound asleep in Joe's bedroom," he replied gently. "That room is big enough for both a crib and a mattress."

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Dave whispered, as he dropped off to sleep.

"I was already awake," Luka murmured, as he quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

That part was true, as Joe woke up and not wanting Daniel to wake up, Luka had walked his boy around the apartment. He had just returned Joe to his crib when Dave knocked on the door.

Ever since that first day when he had seen Dave again after many years, Luka had a distinct feeling that there was something in Dave's pre-County past that could explain his behaviors.

However, Luka knew that if that were true, he couldn't attempt to provide help to Dave by himself although Dave had come and asked for help. Maybe in the morning, things would be different.

Not sure of what else to do at the moment, Luka walked over to the phone and picked up the reciever. He needed advice from County, but didn't want to put Dave under a microscope.

In silence, Luka dialed the front desk at County, hoping that he could talk to someone.

* * *

Dawn would come in a few hours, yet Mark was filled with fury-fueled adrenaline.

"Seriously, Jerry, how could you let Doctor Malucci sign out AMA and leave?" Mark snapped, as he paced back and forth in front of the desk, where Jerry sat.

Jerry shrugged and looked to Lydia, "Something didn't seem right about Doctor Malucci's whole demeanor when he left," Lydia stated, her voice full of concerned. "I wasn't sure what to do."

"You should have followed him outside, sedated him, and brought him back inside strapped to a gurney," Mark replied in a frustrated tone, realizing that he probably couldn't have stopped Dave either. "I'm sorry for snapping, Lydia."

Scoffing, Mark turned away, intending to go outside for some air. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"County ER," Jerry said, as he picked up the reciever. "Oh, hey Doctor Kovac."

At the mention of Luka's name, Mark froze and turned around to face Jerry, listening to what Jerry was saying on the phone, "...Give me a minute," he said. "Doctor Greene's right here."

Wondering why Luka wanted to talk to him, Mark grabbed the reciever from Jerry, "Luka, why are you calling the ER so early in the morning?" he asked, his voice still slightly full of irritation.

There was a prolonged silence as Mark listened to Luka with a sudden look of concern on his face,"...Luka, keep an eye on him for the rest of the night and see if he'll come here in the morning, after Daniel's gone to school...Yes, I know that Malucci's stubborn...At least he had the sense to come to your apartment instead of spending the night walking the streets...No, I don't know what's going on with him...Did you give him anything to help him sleep?...Anyway, keep an eye on him tonight...All right, I'll talk to you later, Luka...good night."

Looking rather disturbed, Mark hung up the phone, "Doctor Malucci ended up at Doctor Kovac's apartment and is sound asleep," he stated, as he looked at Lydia and Jerry.

Suddenly, ambulance sirens could be heard in the distance, "That's probably heading our way," Mark commented, as he moved towards the ambulance bay. "Jerry, wake Carter up...we're short on nurses tonight, so we're gonna need him for this..."

As Mark and Lydia walked into the ambulance bay, they both shivered at the frigidness in the air.

Fortunately, it was at that same moment that an ambulance came into the bay with its sirens wailing loudly, followed by a police car. Mark and Lydia sighed and moved towards the rig.

The doors were pushed open and a paramedic hopped out, "Doctor Greene, we kinda went out of our way, but since he was one of your guys, we made the trip," he commented, as the gurney was brought out to reveal an unconscious Ray, whose face was covered in blood, which was beginning to stain the blankets that were covering Ray's body.

"We found him in what looked like a free clinic," the paramedic said, as they wheeled Ray inside and past the desk towards the nearest trauma room. "He's got a broken nose, deep head lac, hypothermia and possible head trauma...He was unconscious on the floor and being drenched by fire sprinklers...The fire alarm was pulled by someone else...but who would have done it?"

As Mark and Lydia began to work on Ray, a cop walked into the trauma room, "Excuse me, I'm wanting to talk to Ray Barnett about that attack," he said, as he held an ID badge in his hand.

Just then, Carter, who had been rudely woken up from a restful sleep by Jerry, came into the room, "Jerry said we had a trauma come in," he commented, as he was stopped by the cop.

"Sorry, doc, nobody else gets near Ray Barnett until I get some answers," the cop said.

Carter frowned, "What happened to Ray?" he asked, as he muscled past the cop and moved over to the gurney just in time to see Ray's wet clothes being cut off and replaced by a clean gown.

"My detectives are processing the crime scene right now," the cop replied. "From what we already know, someone broke into the clinic and somehow, Mr. Barnett was injured..."

"Carter, hook up some IV's," Mark ordered, as he moved away from the gurney. "I need to go to the desk and call for a surgical consult. "Officer, come with me and we can talk at the desk."

The officer nodded but didn't move, "Oh, Doctor Carter?" he said, suddenly recognizing the man from one of the pictures that he had seen at the clinic during the inital investigation. "This was found on the floor next to Mr. Barnett...I think something might have happened to its owner."

Quickly hooking another IV line to Ray's arm, Carter moved a step closer to the officer, "What's that in your hand?" he asked, suddenly noticing the small ID badge in the officer's hand.

"It's an ID badge belonging to a Doctor Amy Faith Romano," the cop replied, as he handed the badge to Carter, who immediately pocketed it. "Apparently, her clinic was attacked tonight."

Carter was silent for a moment, as if he was unable to believe that had happened.

"Who would do this?" Carter quietly asked himself, as he turned back to the unconscious Ray.

Mark sighed, "Carter, focus on helping Ray for the moment," he said. "If you'll come with me, officer..."

"Body temp's starting to rise," Lydia chirped, as if helping Carter try and focus on his job.

Cater nodded and turned his attention to Ray, silently hoping that Amy would be all right.

* * *

What seemed like hours later, Amy woke to find herself handcuffed to a metal railing.

Looking around, Amy realized that she was in some sort of basement apartment, laying beside a flight of stairs. She was still wearing the clothes she had on when Elton took her from the clinic.

"Well, my little Amy, finally woke up..." Elton, who had been nearby and saw Amy open her eyes, said, as he came into view. "You know, darling, passing out in my car wasn't a good idea..."

Amy said nothing, but inside, she was feeling sick and repulsed as Elton knelt beside her and caressed her face, "So, dearest Amy, how come Malucci wasn't at the clinic with you last night?" he asked. "Did he get fired from there like he got thrown out of County?"

"You leave Dave out of this," Amy hissed, horrified that Elton had been keeping track of both her and Dave for all these years. "You got me, Elton, what more do you want?"

For a moment, Elton looked very much like he wanted to slap Amy, then he broke into a malicious grin, "Oh, my naive little ex-wife," he stated. "I am going to make your suffering intense..."

Amy gasped in horror as Elton pulled a knife from his pocket and lifted her shirt, "You know, my dear, I could stab you and let you bleed to death," he hissed, as he straddled the blade across her upper abdomen. "However, that would ruin my fun...I want to have some fun with you first..."

Breathing hard, Amy winced as Elton dropped the knife and began kissing her face and neck.

"It's a shame that Malucci wasn't there last night," Elton said, as he moved his lips to her neck. "I would have very much liked to see him again...It's been too long since I saw that loser..."

Amy remained silent, as a retort would only cause Elton to harm her more. She knew that back when Elton had last found them, he tried to kill them both, but failed, and killed someone else instead. The memories and scars of that death were still very apparent for both of them.

"I promise, Amy, by the time this is over, you'll regret living," Elton hissed, continuing to kiss her as he began to undo the buttons on her shirt. "You won't even get to die, you'll live in suffering..."

Whatever happened to her, she only prayed that Dave, Daniel, and her kids would not be harmed.


	5. Collision of Past and Present

Yawning, Dave opened his eyes and looked around, remembering that he had slept in Luka's bed.

Realizing that he had a slight headache, Dave sat up and noticed a small digital clock on a night table that was beside Luka's bed. The clock read 9:00.

"I guess I have to get up and face the music at work..." Dave muttered, as he got up and stiffly walked towards Luka's bedroom door. "I fully expect them to fire me..."

As he came out of Luka's bedroom, Dave suddenly heard the sound of eggs being cracked.

Frowning, Dave looked down and suddenly realized that he was wearing what appeared to be a housecoat of Luka's over his clothes. He looked around, curious as to who was there.

"Luka?" Dave asked, as he closed his eyes to block out the throbbing in his head.

There was no reply, merely a hiss as something was poured into a heated pan.

Dave sank down on to the couch. He looked down at his box of belongings and was so focused on trying to figure out what to do that he wasn't aware of Luka standing over him.

"I don't know what to do," Dave whispered, as he realized that he was homeless, destitute, and stuck in a volunteer position that made it impossible for him to be a decent father to Daniel.

Luka sighed and moved into Dave's view, "You and Daniel can stay here until you get things figured out," he said, as he sat down on the couch next to Dave.

"Luka, I can't afford to pay you anything," Dave argued. "I can't impose..."

"Don't worry about that now," Luka replied, his heart going out to Dave because he was still trying to make something of himself despite recent problems. "Anyway, come and eat some breakfast."

"How did I get this housecoat on?" Dave asked, as he continued to sit there.

Realizing that Dave probably had very little recollection of the last several hours, Luka gave him a pointed look, "I came in to check on you at about six and you were slumped over the side of the bed, moaning something about being stabbed after a car crash in Grenada," he explained, concerned by the sudden look of horror on Dave's face. "I woke you up, got you some water, and put my housecoat on you...Don't worry, you didn't wake Daniel or Joe..."

For a moment, Dave was silent and then he suddenly opened the box and pulled out what looked to Luka like a small album. He set the album on his lap and opened it. On the front page, there was a photo of a younger Dave, who was dressed in scrubs and a white coat, sitting with a pretty woman who was laying in a hospital bed, holding a swaddled baby.

"This was taken the day after Daniel was born, while he and my wife were still in the hospital," Dave explained, his voice full of gentle reminiscence. "One of the nurses took the picture of us...I was supposed to be doing my daily rotation, but my supervisor let me have a break just then..."

Luka studied the picture, "She's very beautiful," intrigued about this sudden revelation as he studied the photo.

"Yes, she was," Dave replied, his voice soft. "She loved both Daniel and I very much..."

Suddenly realizing that Dave was referring to the woman in the past tense, Luka gave Dave a concerned look, "Why do you refer to her in the past tense?" he asked.

"She died not long after Daniel was born," Dave stated in a quiet tone.

Feeling uncomfortable with discussing his deceased wife, Dave suddenly rose from the couch, shoving the album into Luka's lap, "Doctor Kovac, can I use your shower to clean up a little before I head to work?" he asked, heading into the bathroom. "I think I have a shift in an hour..."

The bathroom door closed and within seconds, Luka heard the sound of clothes falling to the floor and the shower running. He gazed down at the album and wondered why it saddened Dave.

It suddenly made him think of Danjiela, Jasna, and Marko and how much losing them caused him to hurt. He had moved to Chicago to live and work, just because the pain of loss was so hard.

Gazing down at the album, Luka wondered if death was the reason why Dave had left Grenada.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think, as the shower suddenly turned off, "Dave, if you need some clean clothes, I have a pair of scrubs you can borrow," he said, as he heard Dave moving around in the bathroom. "I have plenty, so I really don't mind."

There was no reply, only sounds of Dave moving around. Taking that as a sign that Dave didn't mind borrowing scrubs from him, Luka gently set the album on the couch, got up, and wandered into his bedroom.

A moment later, he emerged with a pair of dark blue scrubs and walked over to the bathroom door, "Dave, here's some clean scrubs," Luka said, as he knocked on the door.

The door opened and Dave poked his head out, "Thanks," he replied, reluctantly taking the scrubs from Luka. "I really appreciate it...not everyone would be understanding...and not ask questions..."

As the door closed, Luka sighed and moved back into the kitchen. The eggs were probably burned, but it didn't matter. After talking about the past, Dave probably didn't want to eat.

Luka quickly ran into the kitchen and turned off the burner. He then decided to go into the bedroom that Daniel and Joe were sharing and check on Joe. After taking Joe with him earlier to drop Daniel off at school, Luka had returned Joe to bed before attempting to make breakfast.

"Hey little one," Luka cooed, as he walked into the bedroom and over to the crib just in time to see Joe wake up. "Did you get a good rest after Daddy woke you up earlier?"

Joe giggled and extended his arms to Luka. Smiling, Luka picked Joe up and held him close.

Luka kissed Joe on the forehead and carried him out into the living room. He found Dave there, dressed in the blue scrubs and socks, pulling a pristine white coat from his box.

"Right after Dana and I got married, Amy and Dana had pooled some money together and bought me this coat for when I graduated medical school," Dave said, as he noticed that Luka was watching him curiously. "They had Doctor Malucci embroidered on it...I've had it ever since."

Letting out a sigh, Dave put the white coat on, "I've really never worn it before, even in my internship," he said, placing his hand over the embroidered letters. "I just felt like wearing it today."

There was silence as Luka watched Dave gaze at the floor in silence, overcome by the distant memory.

* * *

Scoffing as Frank left the ER for the day, Jerry turned away from the stack of paperwork that awaited his attention. He saw Carter come down the hallway with a chart in his hand.

"All right, that is my last patient and I'm now going home to sleep," Carter announced, as he set the chart on the counter. "Doctor Weaver, Luka, and Malucci are on today, I think...Any word on how Ray's doing?"

Jerry nodded, "Ray was just moved to a private room a few hours ago," he replied. "Doctor Greene was asked to cover Ray's shift today..."

Carter took Amy's ID out of his pocket, "Can you give this to Malucci whenever he gets here?" he asked, as he handed the ID badge to Jerry. "I think Amy would want him to keep it safe for her."

Before Jerry could reply, Luka walked through the doors, carrying Joe. He nodded a good morning and immediately kept walking off towards the elevators, so to get Joe to daycare.

Jerry took the ID badge and Carter smiled, "See you tomorrow, Jerry," he said, as he walked off towards the lounge.

Whistling, Carter went into the lounge and immediately stopped at the sight of an unfamiliar figure dressed in scrubs and a white coat, lingering in front of an open locker, appearing to be lost in thought, "Uh, excuse me, Doctor...?"

Suddenly startled, Dave shut the album he had brought with him, shoved it carefully in the shelf of his locker, and turned around, "Oh, hey Carter, I didn't hear you come in," he said, as he grabbed his stethoscope and locked the locker.

Dumbstruck, as he had never seen Dave dressed so much like a doctor before, Carter stared at him for a moment, "Nice white coat," he stated in an uncertain tone.

Not sure of how to react, Dave gripped his stethoscope and left the room in silence.

For a moment, Carter was stunned and had to sit down on the couch. He was so shocked at Malucci's sudden change in appearance and demeanor. Never before had he seen that from him.

Exhausted from dealing with a bratty kid who only communicated with swear words and had only faked sick to avoid school, Kerry slammed a completed chart on to the counter and noticed that both Jerry and the nurses were staring at something with their mouths dropped open.

"Doctor Weaver, is there something the matter with Doctor Malucci?" Jerry asked, his voice low.

Frowning, Kerry looked in the direction that Jerry was staring and she was shocked to see Dave lingering near the board and chart rack, dressed in shoes, blue scrubs, and a white coat. with his stethoscope around his neck and his ID clipped to his coat pocket. He didn't appear to be slacking off either, he was going over old charts with an unusually intense concentration.

"Doctor Malucci?" Kerry asked, as she walked over to him. "Are you all right?"

"I swear I'm not slacking off," Dave stated, as if he was well aware of the gossip from Jerry and the nurses concerning his attire and demeanor. "Just making sure everything's in order."

Kerry was silent and, nervous about receiving a lecture, Dave continued, "...There's a bunch of people in chairs..." he explained, too nervous to look at Dr. Weaver. "In one, there's a patient with gastric discomfort...exam two and three have minor lacs that need irrigation and suturing...hemmorhoids in four...ankle injury in five, just waiting on the x-rays...possible psychotic in six, just waiting on a psych consult...Jerry gave me all of last night's charts and updated me properly...Doctor Kovac took his son upstairs to daycare and will be back very soon...Anyway, I should probably get to work, there's a lot to do today..."

Without waiting for a reply, Dave grabbed a couple of charts from the rack and moved off down the hallway. Kerry stared after him in silence, what had gotten into Malucci?

"Would everyone stop staring and get to work?" Kerry snapped, wondering if Dr. Malucci was finally serious about being a good doctor. "Lydia, Haleh, go help Doctor Malucci...I'll go find Doctor Greene and we'll help ease the load...Jerry, update Doctor Kovac when he gets back..."

As if to prove her point, Kerry grabbed some charts and hurried off down the hallway.

"Um, I guess we should get to work," Jerry said, still shocked over Dr. Malucci.

* * *

Across town, Nathan stood in front of the clinic, horrified to see the door pane busted.

Although his mother didn't come home last night, Nathan initially didn't think anything of it and had hustled his siblings off to school. He expected that his mother was working Ray very hard.

After his siblings had gone, however, Nathan began to feel very uneasy. Whenever his mother stayed all night at the clinic, she usually called with instructions for the next day.

Even though he was also supposed to be in school, Nathan had taken his backpack, locked up the house with the keys, and had walked to the clinic. His mother hadn't called at all last night.

Now, as he stared at the broken glass, Nathan knew that something was very, very wrong.

Numb with shock, Nathan stepped over the glass and froze at seeing blood all over the floor.

"No..." Nathan murmured in horror, as he suddenly realized who came to the clinic.

Placing a hand over his mouth, Nathan knelt down and began to sob as if his heart would break.

"Hey kid, you can't be in here!" Officer Grabarsky, who had come back to supervise the crime scene and spotted Nathan sitting there. "This is a crime scene."

"M-My mom was taken," Nathan sobbed, as he stared at the blood with wide eyes.

Worried that the kid was going into shock, Officer Grabarsky took his radio off his belt and pressed the button, "Dispatch, needing EMS assistance at..."

As soon as he finished giving the order and put the radio back, Officer Grabarsky placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder, "What's your name, kid?" he asked.

"Nathan Romano," Nathan replied in an emotionless tone. "My mom, Doctor Amy Faith Romano, and Doctor Dave Malucci own this clinic...I had a feeling something was wrong...she didn't call."

Without warning, Nathan gagged and turning away from the blood, he puked on the cleaner floor.

"Shh, Nathan, it's okay," Officer Grabarsky said, as he pulled the sobbing teen against him.

Hearing sirens in the distance, Officer Grabarsky continued to hold Nathan close and let him cry.

* * *

Back at County, Dr. Romano stepped off the elevator and on to the Recovery floor.

He had been called earlier this morning and told that Amy had been abducted from the clinic last night and that Ray had been injured in trying to stop that from happening. He had been keeping in contact with the hospital and police all night and now Ray was finally able to receive visitors.

"What room is Ray Barnett currently in?" Dr. Romano asked, as he approached the admit desk where a nurse sat, working on paperwork.

"Room 321," the nurse replied, surprised at Dr. Romano's presence. "He's asleep, though."

Without saying another word, Romano walked off down the hallway, looking at the room numbers.

It didn't take him long to find the correct room. He peered through the glass window, not wanting to wake Ray up. Ray was asleep and his face was heavily bruised. There were bandages covering his nose and forehead and IV lines everywhere. Dr. Romano sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Doctor Romano?"

Turning around, Dr. Romano saw the desk nurse standing there, "An Officer Grabarsky just called, EMS is bringing a kid named Nathan Romano into the ER," she said. "They tried your office first, but your office told him that you were down here...Their ETA is less than 15 minutes..."

"Nathan's supposed to be in school," Dr. Romano muttered, as he began walking back down the hallway towards the elevator. "Phone down to the ER and tell them I'm on my way..."

The nurse nodded and watched as Dr. Romano disappeared into the elevator.

* * *

Sirens wailed as an ambulance and police car pulled up in the ambulance bay.

Dr. Weaver, who had been talking with Jerry about looked up just in time to see Officer Grabarsky enter the ER looking solemn.

"Hey, Doctor Weaver, is Doctor Malucci on duty today?" Officer Grabarsky asked, as he approached the desk. "EMS just brought in a kid that it's not a good idea for him to see...Anyway, I need to talk to him right away...it's very important."

Frowning, Dr. Weaver looked at Jerry, "Go get Doctor Malucci, he's doing sutures in Exam Two," she ordered. "Is Doctor Malucci in some sort of trouble?"

Before Officer Grabarsky could reply, the doors were pushed open and paramedics wheeled Nathan, who was crying, into the ER on a gurney. Dr. Romano suddenly came down the hallway.

"Jerry, what's open?" Dr. Romano asked, as he ran alongside the gurney and took Nathan's hand.

"Uh, there's a bed in Curtain Area Two," Jerry said, as he saw Dr. Greene and Dr. Malucci coming down the hallway towards the desk. "Doctor Malucci..."

Dave frowned as he suddenly saw Dr. Romano walking alongside a gurney that contained a crying Nathan, "Nathan, why aren't you in school?" he asked, concerned. "What happened?"

"Doctor Malucci, you're wanted at the desk by Officer Grabarsky," Dr. Romano stated. "Kerry and I will take care of Nathan...Kerry, grab a nurse and let's go..."

As Dave headed towards the desk, Kerry ran after the gurney. Mark lingered, wondering why a cop wanted to talk with Malucci and why Nathan was in the ER having an emotional breakdown.

"Officer Grabarsky, I was told you wanted to speak with me?" Dave asked, smiling as he approached the officer, well aware that Jerry was lingering nearby and eavesdropping.

Mark watched as Officer Grabarsky began talking to Dave. He suddenly frowned in concern as Dave's smile quickly disappeared. He saw Officer Grabarsky hand him an ID badge.

Blinking, Dave suddenly put a hand on his back and looked as if he was about to gag.

"Jerry, tell Doctor Weaver that I'm taking a break," Dave sputtered, as he turned and walked off towards the elevators with a hand still on his back. "I'll be in the cafeteria if anyone cares..."

"Malucci!" Mark shouted, as Dave left the ER in silence.

Mark looked at Officer Grabarsky, "What's the matter with him?" he asked.

"Doctor Faith was abducted last night from the clinic she and Doctor Malucci run," Officer Grabarsky explained. "After I told him, he suddenly complained that his back was starting to hurt and said that he needed to be alone for a little while..."

Having left Nathan, who was now calmer and being given IV fluids, with Dr. Weaver and Lydia, Dr. Romano came speed walking down the hallway, "Where's Doctor Malucci?" he asked, concerned as to why Dr. Greene and Officer Grabarsky were now talking at the desk.

"Doctor Malucci went to the cafeteria on a break," Jerry stated, as he turned his attention to paperwork so that nobody would think he was eavesdropping. "He had a hand on his back."

Without warning, Dr. Romano slammed Nathan's chart on the desk and suddenly swore.

Dr. Romano grabbed a pen. "Jerry, get me a prescription pad..." he ordered.

Jerry nodded and pushed a pad over to Dr. Romano, "Doctor Greene, I need you to go upstairs and make sure that Malucci isn't hurt," Dr. Romano ordered. "I want to see him in my office at five..."

Mark opened his mouth to ask another question, but Dr. Romano glared at him, "Doctor Greene, now is not the time to ask questions," he snapped. "Go find Malucci and make sure he's okay."

Not wanting to endure Dr. Romano's wrath, Dr. Greene nodded and moved off down the hallway.

* * *

Well aware that the cafeteria workers were giving him concerned looks, Dave slid down to the floor and bent forward to try and relieve the intense pain in his back. He was feeling very numb otherwise.

He knew who had taken Amy from the clinic and he also knew that Elton would eventually come after him, wanting to harm him yet again. Elton hated him for protecting Amy and her kids.

Dave closed his eyes. He could suddenly refeel the knife being inserted and pulled down his back.

The sound of Elton muttering threats in his ear, as he lay there on the road, bleeding to death, caused Dave to shudder. As he lay there, his wife was yards away, already dead.

"Malucci?"

As the memories again faded, Dave opened his eyes, wondering where the voice had come from.

Mark frowned, Malucci looked as if he was slipping into shock because of the news concerning Dr. Faith's abduction. He walked over to the cafeteria counter.

"Do you have any apple juice?" Mark asked, as he kept an eye on Malucci out of the corner of his eye. "Could you also get Doctor Malucci something to eat? Put it on the ER account..."

One of the cafeteria workers handed Mark a bottle of apple juice and a straw, "He was pacing the cafeteria for a few minutes before he slid to the floor and keeled over," she said, as she moved off towards the back to find some food. "We tried talking to him, but he didn't hear us."

Nodding, Mark turned and walked back over to where Malucci was sitting, "Malucci, did you have anything to eat or drink today?" he asked, as he kneeled down and offered the bottle to Dave.

Suddenly aware that he wasn't alone, Dave blinked, "Oh, Doctor Greene, I was about to get back to work," he said in a self-conscious tone. "The ER's really busy today..."

"Well, they won't miss you for a few more minutes," Mark said, as he opened the bottle and stuck the straw into the juice. "Drink that and the cafeteria's finding something for you to eat..."

Dave frowned, "I can't afford that," he protested. "Juice is like three bucks here..."

"It's on the ER account, don't worry about it," Mark replied. "You haven't eaten all day, have you?"

Dave was silent, so Mark grabbed Dave's hand and put it around the bottle, "Drink," he ordered.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Dave lifted the bottle and began to drink from the straw, "Thanks," he replied, doing his best to avoid Dr. Greene's inquisitive gaze.

"Jerry and Officer Grabarsky mentioned that you started complaining of back pain," Mark stated, really concerned that Dave wouldn't look him in the eye. "Are you all right?"

There was silence as Dave drank all the juice, "Just an old injury acting up, it's nothing," he replied, his voice void of emotion. "Thanks for the juice...I should really be getting back downstairs..."

"Romano wants to see you in his office at five," Mark said, as Dave got to his feet and tossed the empty bottle in the recycling bin without removing the straw. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Dave nodded, "Just needed a little pick me up," he replied, as he walked out of the cafeteria.

As Mark watched Dave go, a cafeteria lady came up beside him and handed him a muffin.

"Make sure Doctor Malucci gets that," the cafeteria worker said, as she turned away.

Mark nodded and stuffing the muffin in his pocket, he left the cafeteria.

* * *

Even though Dr. Romano was sitting in the exam room with Nathan, Dave found himself lingering outside the door, silently watching as Dr. Romano and Nathan talked. His back still hurt a little.

Dave suddenly stepped away from the door as it opened and Dr. Romano came out, "Nathan's sleeping for the moment," he said, not surprised to see Malucci there. "Anyway, how's your back?"

"It's fine," Dave replied, annoyed that even now, Dr. Romano would be able to catch him in a lie.

Dr. Romano shook his head, "How long has it been since you had acupuncture for it?" he asked, concern in his voice. "Do not tell me you are fine, Malucci, or I will put you on nightshifts for a month…."

"Haven't had any done since I got fired from County," Dave replied. "Too expensive...Amy would give me periodic massages, but they didn't help a lot..."

Swallowing hard, as mentioning his abducted friend hurt him emotionally, Dave moved off down the hallway. Dr. Romano frowned and followed after him.

"Haleh, get me some stainless steel needles and please sterilize them," Dr. Romano ordered, as he reached the desk and saw Malucci looking at charts in the rack. "Malucci, don't even think about it…."

Realizing that Dr. Romano was going to force him to undergo back treatment, Dave set the chart he was looking at back in the rack, "You need two hands to do the procedure, Doctor Romano," he replied.

"Doctor Greene, are you free to do some acupuncture?" Dr. Romano said, as he grabbed a blank chart from the desk and began filling it in. "Jerry, is there a bed free?"

"I think Exam Four is available now," Jerry replied, wondering who needed acupuncture.

Before Dr. Greene, who didn't know anything about acupuncture, could reply, Luka came down the hallway and placed a completed chart on the desk. He suddenly noticed Romano glaring at Dave.

"I don't need acupuncture, Doctor Romano, I'm fine," Dave protested.

Rolling his eyes, Dr. Romano ignored him, "Kovac, do you know anything about acupuncture?" he asked, as he handed Dave a chart. "There's your chart, Malucci. Fill it out and go sit in Exam Four."

"If you don't start walking, I'll get you a wheelchair," Dr. Romano snapped, as he moved around to the board and wrote _Exam Four, Acupuncture, Patient: D. Malucci, Physician: L. Kovac._

Annoyed, Dave took the chart and walked off to Exam Four. Dr. Greene looked at Dr. Romano.

"Why does Malucci need acupuncture?" Mark asked. "He's supposed to be working."

Dr. Romano scoffed, "Greene, go help Kovac," he ordered. "I'll run things out here…Do not comment on his back, as it will only upset him, just do the acupuncture and get him back working a.s.a.p….Haleh, go assist and make sure that Malucci stays calm…"

Jerry handed the supplies to Haleh and she walked off down the hallway. He then handed Dr. Greene a large medical manual, "The procedure should be in there," Romano commented from his spot at the board.

Mark took the manual and saw that Luka was already headed down the hallway. He followed, both curious and concerned as to why Dave would need acupuncture.

* * *

Deeply embarrassed that his past was now affecting his ability to function at work, Dave pulled off his scrub shirt and set it in the chair on top of his doctor's coat. He folded his arms and sighed wearily.

There was no doubt now that he would get comments about the scars all over his back, he was sure of it. He would never be able to look anyone in the eye again.

Well aware that Haleh was watching him, Dave sighed and lay on the gurney on his stomach. Sensing Dave's discomfort, Haleh gently mussed his hair to keep him calm.

The door opened and footsteps entered the room. Dave could suddenly feel Haleh's hand on his shoulder, as if she knew he was tempted to get up and run away.

"Haleh, can we get a surgical light?" Mark asked, as he opened the manual and began looking for the instructions on how to properly do acupuncture.

Luka pulled a stool over, "I already know how to do acupuncture, Mark," he calmly replied, as he set the supplies on the nearby portable tray. "Just relax, Dave, it won't hurt a bit…"

Haleh wheeled over a surgical light over and turned it on, revealing a long, deep, jagged scar just to the left of Dave's spine that went all the way from his neck down to his waist. There were also smaller knife scars and healed bruises on other parts of his back and shoulders. Dave winced and sighed deeply.

"Please don't comment on how horrible my back looks," Dave whispered, deeply embarrassed. "I just need the acupuncture."

Remembering the mumbling he had heard that morning from Dave about being stabbed after a crash in Grenada, Luka remained silent and began carefully inserting the needles into Dave's back.

"What time is it?" Dave muttered, his voice groggy as he began to relax from the acupuncture.

Mark looked at the digital clock above the door, "It's almost noon," he replied.

"I told Daniel to come by the hospital for lunch and we'd eat in the cafeteria," Dave muttered, his voice fading as he began to fall asleep. "I won't be able to do that….tell him I'll make it up to him…"

Mark nodded, "I'll take care of it," he replied. "Just relax and let Luka work on your back."

Soft breathing was the only reply, so Mark left the room. Haleh quietly watched Luka work.

* * *

Lucas Romano looked around at the busy ER as he led Erinn, Katie, and Daniel inside.

He had gotten a message from the school that Nathan had been brought to the ER and treated for shock earlier that morning. The school told him that his grandfather expected him to bring himself, Erinn, Katie, and Daniel Malucci to the ER for lunch.

They had already found Nathan, who was resting, by accident. Nathan had told Lucas, Erinn, and Katie about their mother's abduction and then said to go and find something to eat and get back to school so he could rest.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Doctor Greene," Lucas said, as he approached the desk.

Jerry, who was swamped with paperwork and orders, shrugged it off, "Check the boards, he might be seeing a patient or something," he replied, as he turned away. "The board's over by the chart rack."

Fighting the urge to swear, as he knew his mother wouldn't like it, Lucas moved over to where the board was and began reading it. Unknown to him, Daniel was behind him, also reading the patient board.

"Lucas, why is my dad's name on the board as a patient?" Daniel suddenly asked, as he spotted his dad's name on the board under patients. "I thought he was working today…."

Lucas saw the word _acupuncture _written next to Dr. Malucci's name, "I think he had some issues with his back again," Lucas replied, trying to distract Daniel from the board. "I'm sure he'll be all right, though."

Daniel nodded in understanding, as his dad had told him about being stabbed by some strange man back when he was in medical school, "Where's Doctor Kovac?" he asked. "Maybe he can tell me about my dad."

"You kids shouldn't be back here," Dr. Greene, who had just come from the exam room, said, as he suddenly spotted Lucas, Erinn, Katie, and Daniel behind the desk. "Hey there, Daniel."

"Where's Doctor Kovac?" Daniel asked. "Is my dad having back problems again like Lucas said?"

Mark frowned, "Has your dad had these back problems before, Daniel?" he asked.

Suddenly self-conscious of what he was saying, Daniel looked to Lucas and Erinn.

"Lucas, why don't you take your sisters into the lounge and raid the fridge?" Mark said, suddenly realizing that there was way more to Dave's past than he actually was aware of. "I need to talk to Daniel."

Wondering if Daniel was going to get into trouble for what he said, Lucas nodded and quickly ushered Erinn and Katie into the lounge. Daniel swallowed hard and looked up at Dr. Greene.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" Dr. Greene said, as he offered his hand to Daniel. "We can go up to the cafeteria, get you a little lunch, and you can tell me whatever you want to about your dad…"

Knowing that Dr. Greene only wanted to help, by the amount of concern he was showing, Daniel nodded and taking Dr. Greene's hand, he followed him down the hallway towards the elevators.

* * *

Slightly annoyed that he had fallen asleep only to be woken by some kids raiding the fridge, Carter strode out of the lounge and glanced at the clock, which read 1:30. The kids had left long ago with some food that looked as if it was about to expire.

He immediately saw Dave, who was still in the scrubs and white coat, sitting at the desk, working on charts and looking as if he were ready to fall asleep. Jerry must be on break, Carter reasoned.

"Dave, won't Doctor Weaver be yelling at you if she catches you slacking at the desk?" Carter asked as he walked over to the desk to sign out.

Not wanting to tell Carter that both Dr. Weaver and Dr. Kovac had ordered him to sit at the desk for at least half an hour to fully wake up from the acupuncture treatment before seeing more patients, Dave ignored the question and continued working on entering information from old charts into the hospital computer.

"Seriously, Dave, aren't you tired of getting under everyone's skin?" Carter continued, as he grabbed his jacket from behind the desk. "This ER needs doctors who are always ready and able to be working…"

Gritting his teeth, Dave continued to ignore Carter, as he really had to watch his temper. He had only gotten angry once, but had been in too much pain to act.

"Oh, jeez, your writing looks like chicken scratch," Carter commented, as he peered over Dave's shoulder at the information Dave was copying. "At least you have something in common with the rest of the doctors around here….we all have bad writing….Otherwise, we're worlds apart on professionalism…."

Suddenly angry, Dave rose from the chair, "I suggest you shut up now, Carter," he muttered, as he moved over to the board to make sure that things were in order for when Dr. Weaver came to check.

"You're acting like a desk clerk, Dave!" Carter crowed, annoyed that nobody was yelling at Malucci for his continual slacking off. "Why don't you grab a chart and start acting like a doctor for a change?"

As if he couldn't stop himself, Dave suddenly glared at Carter, "I've been working all day, Carter, while you've been sleeping in the lounge!" he snapped, his voice starting to rise. "Every single day since I was allowed to come back, I worry about whether I've done enough to actually gain a little respect…"

"You won't gain any respect sitting behind the desk," Carter argued. "If you want some adult respect, why don't you start acting like an adult and do your job? Act like a doctor instead of just dressing like one!"

Anger overcame Dave and he suddenly got right in Carter's face, "YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE TO STRUGGLE FOR AN OUNCE OF RESPECT!" he shouted. "YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THINGS HANDED TO YOU! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HAVING TO SURVIVE AND FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS TO YOU!"

"Get out of my face, Malucci," Carter stated, shocked to see Dave looking ready to fight.

Down the hallway, Mark, Luka, and Kerry, who had heard Dave shouting, were watching the confrontation and wondering what to do about it. They all decided to wait and see how it would turn out.

"You will never, ever know what it's like to lose your wife to an untimely death and think it's your fault because you were laying on the ground, bleeding to death from a stab wound administered from a psychopath," Dave hissed, his voice full of intense anger. "You, Carter, will never know what it's like to scrimp and save every penny after being fired from a residency and then have to fight to keep your child because Social Services tries to label you an unfit parent…I always have to borrow money and time just to keep things going...You will never know what I have had to go through and you should really learn to shut your mouth before calling me a useless slacker…"

Trying to calm down, Dave stepped back and walked over to the chart rack. He grabbed a few charts and marched off towards the exam rooms, passing Dr. Greene, Luka, and Dr. Weaver in absolute silence.

Stunned that Malucci had just unloaded his soul, Carter stood there with his mouth open.

Luka and Kerry exchanged a glance and Kerry walked off down the hall to get a hold of Dr. Romano. Luka sighed and decided to go and check on Dave to make sure he was emotionally okay enough to be working.

"Carter, why don't you go home?" Mark, who had been told a bit of Dave's past history by Daniel up in the privacy of the cafeteria, suggested, as he walked over to Carter. "We've got plenty of people working."

Trying to absorb all of the information that Dave had just angrily spewed in his face, Carter nodded and walked out of the ER in silence. Dr. Greene walked over to the chart rack and as he picked some charts, he made a mental note to talk to Malucci about his sudden outburst later on, when things were slower.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, in the cool of the day, Abby stopped at the entrance of the ambulance bay and sighed.

She had been in Chicago since talking with Luka and after that meeting didn't go over so well, she had spent her time walking the streets and remembering the more pleasant parts of her past. The nights spent in her nice hotel room, however, were full of remembering that night when she almost killed Luka's son.

After her careless mistake, paramedics had brought Joe and Luka, to County. From there, after Joe was saved and admitted for observation, Luka had taken the appropriate steps to secure sole custody.

Abby sighed, she had been sober ever since after the trial, yet the past could not be changed. She had made her mistakes and now, after being in California and receiving professional redemption, she felt at least professionally redeemed. Personally, however, Abby knew that she had a long way to go yet.

The ambulance bay looked so inviting, yet Abby knew that she didn't dare walk towards the ER.

Turning away, Abby looked up at the sky. Her opportunities were limited here because of choice.

"Abby, is that you?" a voice asked, as footsteps neared.

Startled, Abby looked down and found herself looking at Carter. She smiled at seeing him.

"Carter, it's been a long time," Abby stated nervously. "How are you doing?"

Carter smiled sadly, "Well, even though I'm doing well at work, I just got divorced not too long ago," he replied, a slight solemnness in his voice. "Kem went back to Africa…It's been a rough time for me…"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Abby replied, gently touching his arm. "As much as it pains me to say it, I can understand what it's like to lose a spouse and child…It wasn't in the same way, but I do understand…"

Carter was silent for a moment, allowing himself to feel unfettered peace as he felt Abby's hand on his arm.

"Do you want to take a walk somewhere with me?" Carter asked, looking down at her. "We can talk and perhaps to get to know each other again….I'm not on until tomorrow night. I've missed you, Abby."

Suddenly feeling as if there was nowhere she would rather be than with Carter at that moment, Abby nodded and allowed herself to smile, "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," she replied. "Just for the record, John, I've missed you too…..Now that I think about it, I've really missed you.."

Taking Abby's hand in his own, Carter smiled and they walked off down the street, deep in conversation.

The past was gone and couldn't be repaired, yet perhaps a future could be built with the broken pieces. Perhaps hearts could be reopened and new love could grow.


	6. Physician, Heal Thyself First

"Time of death...14:41.."

Even though Dr. Weaver had already called the time, Dave ignored it and continued doing CPR.

His goggles and plastic gown were splattered with blood from the victim that had been puked all over him, as he was standing the closest, trying to intubate. The victim had been brought in half an hour ago with severe injuries and terrible vitals and had immediately crashed.

As the flatline sounded, Dave had initiated CPR in a desperate attempt to save the woman and despite being told to stop, he couldn't give up: he had to give the woman a chance to live.

Dave was well aware that the nurses were giving him odd looks, but he kept going.

"Malucci, she's dead," Kerry said, as she placed a hand on Dave's arm to stop the CPR.

Frowning, Dave stopped and shook off Dr. Weaver's hand, "You know what sucks about being a doctor, Chief?" he stated. "No matter how hard you try, you can't save everyone."

Not bothering to take his gown, gloves and goggles off, Dave marched from the room and didn't stop until he reached the desk. Jerry was on the phone and immediately looked in his direction.

"Doctor Romano called downstairs just a few minutes ago," Jerry said, as he cupped his hands over the receiver. "He wants to see you in his office at three instead of at five."

Realizing that Dr. Romano had probably been notified of his outburst, Dave scoffed and bent over the desk. He was probably going to get fired yet again with a speech about his irresponsibility.

"For once, why can't I do something without screwing it up?" Dave quietly murmured, as he ran a hand through his hair. "All the work I've done to survive...it's all been for nothing."

Before he could stop himself, Dave sank to the floor and buried his face in his knees. Not caring if anyone heard him or sent a comment his way, he began to cry as though his heart would break.

Down the hall, Kerry, who had left the nurses to prepare the body to be sent to the morgue, stepped out of the trauma room and immediately heard the sound of intense sobbing.

Figuring that the woman's family had been told and was reacting badly, Kerry walked down the hallway to leave the chart at the desk and was shocked to see Dave sitting on the floor, sobbing.

Suddenly realizing that he was being watched, Dave jerked his head up and was very embarrassed to see Dr. Weaver standing there, "Oh, Doctor Weaver, sorry," he apologized, quickly getting to his feet. "Doctor Romano wants to see me in his office, is it all right if I take a little break?"

Concerned as to why Malucci was acting so strange, Kerry nodded, "We'll be fine for a little bit, Malucci," she replied. "Anyway, you've worked hard today and have earned a break."

Nodding, Dave turned away and walked off down the hallway. This might very well be his last day.

* * *

In the middle of Chicago, Carter and Abby sat on a bench, huddled together to keep warm.

They had spent time walking around the city and talking about the more painful parts of the past, which had actually made them feel better about it. Carter had found himself able to easily forgive Abby for what had happened and was encouraging her to now forgive herself, as she had changed.

Carter had not told Abby about Malucci, however, as he didn't want to stress her out.

Although Carter had told Abby he was dating Dr. Faith, he also admitted that his feelings for her might not be as strong as he had originally thought and perhaps she felt the same way, though he may never know. He wanted to tell Abby that he loved her all over again.

However, as they had both been through a lot, Carter wisely didn't broach the subject and just allowed both their time spent and conversation to flow naturally. He enjoyed just merely being around Abby again and silently hoped that they could have a deeper relationship someday.

"Um, Abby, would you like to grab a bite to eat?" Carter asked nervously, as he really wanted them to spend more time together, but didn't want to alienate her. "It's getting kind of cold out here..."

Even though she would rather avoid socializing, something about being around Carter again made Abby feel safe, "I think I'd like that, John," she said, as she stood. "Where do you want to go?"

Relieved to not be left alone, John smiled and stood up, "We can go a few blocks to this little cafe on the corner that serves some good soup and hot chocolate," he suggested, taking her hand in his own. "Maybe after that, we can go to my place and warm up a little...perhaps we can make a night of it...would that be okay?"

Abby smiled, as she wouldn't have to be alone that night, "It sounds more than okay," she replied. "Lead on."

Immensely relieved to not have to worry about anything, as he had been trying to balance work and how to break up with the missing Dr. Faith, Carter led Abby off down the sidewalk.

* * *

Fighting the urge to swear, knock something over, or throw up, Dave stepped off the elevator and walked down the hallway of the Administration floor. He felt nervous and ready to run.

Trying to calm his anxiety, Dave stepped into the waiting area and immediately noticed that the Administration secretary was giving him an odd look, "Can I help you, Doctor...?"

"Malucci...Doctor Malucci," Dave replied, trying to keep calm. "Doctor Romano wanted to speak with me in his office at three...I know I'm a little early..."

The secretary suddenly smiled, "Oh, of course, Doctor Malucci," she replied in a warm tone. "Doctor Romano's just meeting with someone. He should be out in a moment if you want to have a seat in the waiting area..."

Dave nodded and, walking over to the couch, he sat down. He could feel his stomach churning.

"Why can't I quit panicking?" Dave whispered, as he leaned forward to try and calm down.

All day his feelings about the past had not bothered him, he actually felt all right that morning when he had partially confided in Luka about his past. This afternoon, however...

The door opened and figuring that Dr. Romano was ready for him, Dave sat back up and immediately cringed. Dr. Romano and Dr. Greene were standing there, looking at him.

"Nice of you to be on time, Doctor Malucci," Dr. Romano commented. "Why don't you come into my office with myself and Doctor Greene? I think we need to have a serious conversation."

Swallowing hard, Dave rose and moved towards the door, "Oh, Malucci, you might want to take off those goggles and that bloodstained gown," Dr. Romano commented. "This isn't a trauma room."

Dave looked down and suddenly realized that he was still wearing his things from the trauma, which explained all the odd looks he had been getting. He took the goggles and the gown off.

"Leave them at the desk," Dr. Romano ordered. "My secretary will dispose of them..."

Nodding, Dave left the gear at the desk and feeling numb, followed Dr. Greene into Dr. Romano's office, "Have a seat," Dr. Romano ordered, as he closed the door.

"Look, I don't know what came over me downstairs, Doctor Romano," Dave started, his voice quaking with fear. "I was just taking it easy after the acupuncture and Carter..."

Dr. Romano sighed, "I already know all the details, Doctor Weaver phoned upstairs and told me about it," he replied tonelessly. "First of all, you are not fired. However, I am very concerned about what took place today and as a result, I booked you an appointment with Dr. DeRaad for five a.m. tomorrow...That way, you won't be late for your ER shift at seven..."

"Psychiatrists won't help, they never have," Dave murmured, annoyed that he was being forced to confront his horrific past head on. "I don't need to sit in some room gazing at ink blots again..."

Rolling his eyes, Dr. Romano scoffed, "Ink blots are a joke, Malucci," he replied. "Anyway, Doctor DeRaad is going to try hypnotherapy on you. From what I know of it, it may help you heal..."

"I don't need to heal, I'm fine," Dave lied, looking down at his hands.

Biting his lip, Dr. Romano sighed, "It's not like DeRaad's going to restrain you to a table, inject you full of drugs, and shine surgical lights in your eyes until you talk," he stated, a combination of impatience and concern in his voice. "It'll just be in his office...you'll lay on a couch and after you're hypnotized, DeRaad will sit at his desk and ask you questions...he'll write things down and have a tape recorder running..."

"There is no way I am allowing him to record information on my past," Dave hissed, his voice full of an intense fear that Dr. Greene had never heard before. "It'll end up all over the hospital."

"The tape recorder is just so he can make notes and figure out how to direct future sessions," Dr. Romano stated. "There WILL be future sessions, by the way, as you DO need some serious help."

Dave refused to look up, "If I agree to this, do you promise that it won't end up as part of the daily gossip chain that exists in the ER?" he asked. "I've already suffered enough from that today..."

"If I hear that confidentiality has been broached on this, I will personally fire every single one of those responsible," Dr. Romano vowed, his voice firm. "That includes you too, Greene."

Knowing that Dr. Romano cared and only wanted to help him get better, Dave raised his head and reluctantly nodded, "All right, I'll do it," he said, his voice wavering. "Um, Doctor Romano, by the way...have the police found any leads as to where Amy could be?"

Dr. Romano shook his head and Dave sighed wearily. Amy was like a sister to him and it continued to distress him that Elton had taken her and there was nothing he could do about it.

Remaining silent, Dr. Romano pulled out his wallet and extracted a couple of twenties, "Go buy something nice for Daniel's birthday and get yourself some scrubs that actually fit," he ordered, as he forced the money into Dave's hand. "Then pick him up at school and go home to your apartment...Don't come back until five tomorrow morning..."

Dr. Greene looked at Dave in shock, as he now knew why Dave had been upset earlier about not being able to join Daniel in the cafeteria for lunch: it was probably Daniel's birthday meal.

Dave was silent, as he didn't want to have to tell Dr. Romano that he was recently evicted and he and Daniel were currently living with Luka and Joe. Especially not in front of Dr. Greene.

"Doctor Malucci, is there a problem?" Dr. Romano asked, as he noticed the stricken look on Dave's face.

Shaking his head, Dave rose from the chair, "No, thanks for the help, Doctor Romano," he said, as he moved towards the door. "See you later..."

Consumed by thoughts about what he was gonna do with Daniel until Luka got off at eight and unlocked the apartment, Dave silently left the room, unaware that Dr. Greene and Romano were giving him looks, as they were concerned by his lack of emotional response.

"Doctor Greene, you've been in the ER with Malucci all day, is he all right?" Dr. Romano asked, as he leaned back in his chair. "He seems distant...like he's trying to keep a lot of things secret..."

Mark frowned, "I don't really understand what's going on with Malucci today," he replied, relieved that he wasn't the only one who had noticed Dr. Malucci's odd behavior.

Suddenly, there was the sound of glass shattering outside and loud swearing could be heard.

"Doctor Malucci, you're bleeding..." the secretary could be heard saying. "Doctor Malucci!"

Frowning, Dr. Greene and Dr. Romano quickly got up and opened the door. They were horrified to see that the door had been shattered and the glass from it was all over the floor.

"Doctor Malucci seemed kind of dazed when he walked out of your office, Doctor Romano," the secretary reported. "He walked right through the glass door and didn't stop..."

Dr. Romano swore, "There's blood and glass all over my carpets," he scowled. "Greene, go and track down Malucci...He's probably bleeding and doesn't realize it..."

Mark nodded and walked out of Dr. Romano's office. Malucci was nowhere in sight.

Seconds later, Mark could hear the sound of running water and what sounded like Malucci muttering. He moved down the hallway towards the sounds and stopped in front of the bathroom.

"First I get evicted and have to live with Luka so my son can eat...I get mocked by the ER staff for working hard and criticized for my clothes by Carter...Romano forces me into psych sessions with DeRaad...then I walk through a glass door and my face is bleeding..." Mark could hear Dave muttering. "I'm already stressed about Amy's abduction...she's like my sister..."

Mark was silent for a moment. Malucci was evicted and lived with Luka so his son could eat?

"OW!" Mark suddenly heard Malucci shout. "...That's in there deep..."

Realizing that he needed to provide help whether Malucci wanted it or not, Mark pushed open the door, "Where's the glass?" he asked, ignoring the look Dave, whose face and left hand was covered in blood and small glass pieces, was giving him.

"Pretty much all over my face," Dave hissed. "I hate to ask, but could you help me out?"

Sighing, Mark shook his head, "You have to go down to the ER," he replied. "Come on."

Annoyed that Dr. Greene probably heard his muttering, Dave allowed himself to be taken by the arm, led out of the bathroom, and down the hallway towards the elevators.

* * *

As Dr. Romano left the ER with a recovered Nathan in tow so he could pick up his other grandchildren from school, Kerry looked at the pill bottle in her hand and looked at the board.

Luka walked up to the desk and placed another completed chart in the rack, "Luka, take this to Mark in Exam Four," she ordered, holding out the pill bottle. "Doctor Romano dropped this off with a prescription order and a note for Doctor Malucci...Malucci's in there getting cleaned up."

"What happened to Dave?" Luka asked, as he took the bottle and the note, which had the prescription order stapled to it.

Not wanting any more gossip about Malucci being spread around the ER that day, Kerry shrugged and walked off to the lounge where the babysitter was waiting with Henry, whom she missed dearly.

Luka sighed and walked down the hallway in silence. He stopped outside the door to Exam Four for a moment, he was unsure of what to say. Should he be silent or ask endless questions?

"...You didn't have to numb my hand up..." Luka heard a groggy voice that sounded like Dave suddenly say. "...I can take the pain of stitches, Doctor Greene, I've taken on lots of other pain...I have to go pick up Daniel from school...It's already after three..."

Luka pushed open the door and saw Dave sitting on a gurney with small bandages all over his face and forehead. He saw Mark sitting on a stool in front of a portable table, stitching up a cleaned gash that extended across Dave's palm. Dressings, a roll of bandages and tape sat on the table.

"I accidentally walked through Doctor Romano's glass office door and broke it," Dave stated, as he saw Luka standing in the doorway. "Doctor Greene's already picked all the glass out of my face and patched that up. Apparently I managed to cut my hand so deep that I need some stitches too.."

Nodding, Luka set the pill bottle and note on the table where Dave could see it, "Kerry said that Doctor Romano sent these downstairs for you," he explained.

Dave eyed the note and sighed, "A prescription for sleeping pills and orders on how to take them," he moaned, exasperated that he was on the verge of being treated like a psych patient.

Luka and Mark exchanged a look, but kept silent, so Dave continued, "I'll just have to manage with a numb hand, I guess," he stated. "After I pick up Daniel, I have to run some errands downtown..."

"You should rest, that stuff is gonna make you tired in a few hours," Mark said, as he finished stitching and placed a dressing over the stitches. "It may have been injected into your hand, but it'll eventually mess up your ability to be fully coherent..."

There was silence as Mark quickly wrapped Dave's hand and taped it, "Thanks, Doctor Greene," he said, as he carefully pulled his hand away and stood up. "See you later, Luka..."

Acting as if nothing was wrong, Dave walked out of the exam room. Luka looked at Mark curiously.

"I really hope Malucci doesn't pass out from that medication when he's on the EL or something," Mark stated, as he cleaned up the remnants of the suture kit.

Wondering what on earth Mark gave Dave for his hand, Luka looked down at the table and realized that Dave had forgotten to take the bottle of sleeping pills with him. He picked up the bottle.

Whatever Dave was doing that evening, Luka really hoped that both he and Daniel would be all right.

* * *

"Grandpa, why are we at MacDonald's?" Katie asked, as she was carried into the busy restaurant by Dr. Romano as Nathan, Lucas, and Erinn followed behind.

As they reached the counter, Dr. Romano set Katie on the floor, "I don't feel like cooking tonight and you might as well have an enjoyable meal," he replied, taking her hand. "I've had a long day."

After gathering his other three grandchildren from school, Dr. Romano had been loading them into the car when he had noticed a slightly groggy-looking Malucci walking away from the school with his right hand holding on to Daniel's. He had to focus on his grandchildren, so he had no time to waste. Nathan had been a big help in loading the other three safely into his vehicle.

Exhausted from a long shift, Dr. Romano had then asked his grandkids where they wanted to go out for dinner and the pleas for McDonald's was unanimous. Despite hating the noisy fast-food restaurant, Robert had agreed and driven to the nearest MacDonald's, as the kids were desperately missing their mother and a little fast food might help them to relax.

Now, however, as he was surrounded by public noise and grandchildren who were pestering him about things that they could eat, Robert was instantly regretting to the arrangement.

"Hey, Katie, why don't we go find a place to sit?" Lucas, who had noticed his grandpa's discomfort about being here, said, as he took Katie's hand. "Grandpa, Nathan, and Erinn can order..."

Katie nodded, "I wanna go play in the Playland!" she replied, as she ran off towards the Playland.

Robert motioned for Lucas to go after her, "It'll keep her busy until the food's ready," he said, as he turned towards the counter. "Now, what would you two, Lucas, and Katie like for dinner?"

Over in the Playland area, Katie slid down the slide and into the ball pool. When she emerged, she saw a dark haired man sitting with a small boy in a smaller pile of balls, playing with him.

"Hey mister, is that your kid?" Katie asked curiously, as she crawled over the balls.

Luka smiled, "Yes, this is Joe," he replied in a gentle tone. "Who are you?"

"My name's Katie Romano," Katie replied, feeling as if she could trust this man.

Realizing that this must be one of Dr. Faith's children, Luka bounced Joe on his knee, "My name is Doctor Kovac," he stated. "Are you one of Doctor Faith's children?"

"My mommy was taken by a bad man," Katie said, suddenly feeling sad. "Uncle Dave's been sad a lot lately because he can't find her...I'm so worried that my mommy won't be okay..."

Before Luka, who was shocked by Katie's words, could reply, Lucas came over to her, "Katie, I thought Mom told you to never talk to strangers," he scolded her.

"Lucas, he's not a stranger, he's a doctor.." Katie said, unable to say Luka's last name because Kovac was a hard word that she didn't know yet. "Do you know Uncle Dave?"

Luka nodded, "I work with him at the hospital," he replied. "He and Daniel are staying with me."

At that moment, Dr. Romano came into view with Nathan and Erinn carrying boxes of white milk, napkins, and ketchup pods while he carried a tray full of various MacDonald's foods.

"Evening Kovac," Robert greeted the man as he set the tray down at a table close to the play area and watched as Nathan and Erinn set the drinks and ketchup on the table. "I take it you didn't feel like cooking either after getting off at seven?"

Luka chuckled, "I had heard a lot of things about how Americans like McDonald's and I thought I would try it," he replied. "It is rather busy in here, I guess...I am still waiting for my and Joe's food."

As the kids began to dole out and dig in to their food, Luka gently lifted Joe and pulled them both out of the ball pit. He walked over to his chosen table and set Joe back in the high chair.

The door opened and footsteps entered the restaurant. Luka sighed, it was incredibly busy here.

"...Just a few more steps, Dad," Daniel's voice filtered from behind one of the decorations.

Luka frowned, that sounded like Daniel, which meant Dave was probably close if not right there.

"...I'm sorry, Daniel..." Luka heard a weak voice that sounded like a very tired Dave, say. "I don't know what Doctor Greene used to numb up my hand, but it's messing my body up...Can you please get me something to eat so that I'll have enough energy to walk out of here?"

Peeking over one of the decor pieces, Luka saw Dave sitting at a table elevating his bandaged hand while keeping his good hand over a large gift bag. Dave looked ready to fall asleep right there and there were dark circles under his eyes. He had no jacket on, either, he only had his scrubs, shoes, and white coat on with his hospital ID still clipped to the pocket. There was a bag on the table.

Luka looked over at Romano and saw that he was occupied with getting his grandchildren to eat their meals, so he picked Joe up and moved around to where Dave was sitting. Frowning at the pallor of Dave's skin, Luka sat Joe in a nearby highchair and sat down next to him.

"You probably feel tired because you need food," Luka commented, as he watched Dave set his hand on the table and flex his fingers. "Tell me the truth, have you eaten at all today, Dave?"

Dave shook his head and continued to watch Daniel at the counter, "Doctor Greene got me an apple juice and a muffin from the cafeteria earlier, but I only had time to drink the juice," he replied. "After I got Daniel from school, we went to buy his birthday present...Doctor Romano told me to buy some scrubs that actually fit, but I need to save what I can for more important things in the future."

There was a sudden silence, as Dave did not want to tell Luka that he and Daniel spent extra time at the school because Dave had to make arrangements for a late night custodial job. Despite living with Luka, he needed to ensure that he had Christmas money to buy Daniel a good present.

"Dave?" Luka asked, concerned by the continued silence.

Just then, Daniel grabbed a tray containing two burgers, two fries, and two boxes of white milk off the counter and carried it over to the table, "I got you some dinner too Dad," he said, as he set the full tray on the table and noticed Luka and Joe. "Hi Doctor Kovac, hi Joe."

Daniel handed a five-dollar bill and some coins to Dave, "Here's the change...how's your hand?"

"It's starting to wake up a bit, I think," Dave replied as he flexed his fingers. "You got me dinner?"

Luka watched as Daniel nodded and passed Dave a wrapped burger and some fries, "There was enough money, so I figured you needed some food," he replied. "You look really tired."

"I was very busy at work today," Dave stated, as he unwrapped the burger and stared at it.

Instead of digging into his own food, Daniel looked at Luka and Joe, "Doctor Kovac, where's your food?" he asked curiously."Don't you and Joe need to eat?"

Luka shrugged, but Dave, who reasoned that Luka was being ignored because of his accent and people's inability to accept foreign people at public restaurants even in this day and age, rose.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back," Dave muttered, as he moved off towards the counter.

There was silence for a moment and then Luka heard Dave speaking in an angry tone, "...Look, I don't CARE if you THINK this restaurant is busy," he snapped. "My friend and his infant son have been waiting a long time for their meal...Don't be so prejudiced because he has an accent..."

Suddenly, there was some squeaking and a small boom, "Sir, sir?" a McDonald's worker asked in a Mexican accent asked. "Get the first aid kit...some guy just collapsed at the counter..."

"...Don't need it, I'm all right," Luka suddenly heard Dave protest in a weak voice.

There were footsteps and Luka suddenly heard Dr. Romano, "Dave, I swear if you say ONE more time that you are fine, I will personally call the paramedics and have them DRAG you to County," he barked. "You, MacDonald's boy, get him a water with salt in it..."

Luka partially rose and peeked over the decor only to see Dave sitting on the floor with Dr. Romano kneeling beside him. A MacDonald's worker was behind the counter.

Nathan suddenly moved into view, "Doctor Dave, are you all right?" he asked.

"Nathan, go sit with Daniel and tell him to start eating," Dave replied, worried that Daniel would be upset by him collapsing at a restaurant due to lack of food. "I'll be all right in a minute."

Nodding, Nathan quickly moved over to where Luka, Daniel, and Joe were sitting, "Daniel, your dad says that you have to start eating your dinner," he said. "I'm gonna sit with you for few minutes, all right?...Lucas, Erinn, Katie, bring your food and come over here..."

Luka watched as three other children, who were all carrying half-eaten meals on trays, came over and set their trays on the table, "Oh, hello," he said, trying to be polite.

"This is Doctor Kovac," Daniel said, as Lucas, Erinn, and Katie sat at the table. "He's my friend."

"That's right, and this is my son, Joe," Luka stated, as he gestured to Joe, who was sitting in the highchair, gurgling happily at so many people being around.

Nathan sighed, "Eat your food, Daniel," he stated. "That goes for the rest of you too."

"Kovac, get over here," Dr. Romano suddenly barked.

Letting out a sigh, Luka rose and moved over to the counter, which was out of view of the table, and saw that Dave was still sitting on the floor, taking sips of saltwater from a glass.

"Help Doctor Malucci stand up and make him eat something," Dr. Romano ordered in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. "I want to see you tomorrow in my office, Malucci."

As Luka helped him stand, Dave shook his head, "Tomorrow's a really bad day, Doctor Romano," he protested. "I go see DeRaad at five and I work seven until three...After that, I have to take the EL over to Daniel's school and pick him up...or maybe I'll walk...depending on the weather..."

"We'll meet during your lunch hour and I will make sure you have one," Dr. Romano stated in a firm voice. "Your biggest problem, Malucci, is that you're scared to ask for help when you need it."

Before Dave could reply, Dr. Romano stood and moved off towards the table, "How are you kids coming with your meals?" he asked. "...Oh, yes, you can stay sitting with Daniel and Joe."

Fighting the urge to cry in humiliation at his dire circumstances, Dave looked at the floor and silently allowed Luka to lead him back over to the table. He saw Luka grab his food from the table and lead him over to a table just around the corner.

"Luka, I have to keep an eye on Daniel," Dave protested, as Luka sat him down. "His birthday present is on the table...I still have to give it to him..."

Luka sat down, "You need a minute to calm down and worry about yourself," he explained, as he watched Dave take a bite of his almost cold burger. "Daniel's birthday present can wait."

"In the last several years, money has been a big issue," Dave spoke quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear. "A lot of the time, I've had to go without so that Daniel's take care of..."

Dave put the rest of his burger so that he wouldn't have to say anymore. He then chewed, swallowed, and reached for some fries, "Even when I used to work at County, a lot of my small salary was going to pay for Daniel's schooling, food, his clothes, and rent," he quietly explained.

"Why do you have to see DeRaad tomorrow?" Luka quietly asked, trying to encourage Dave to confide in him about his problems. "Isn't Doctor DeRaad the Chief of Psychiatry at the hospital?"

Suddenly feeling a small amount of pain from his bandaged hand, Dave winced and flexed his fingers, "After I nearly punched Carter at work today, Romano booked me an appointment to see DeRaad at five in the morning...Apparently, DeRaad's going to try hypnotherapy on me..."

"Is your hand all right?" Luka suddenly asked, as he noticed Dave flexing his fingers.

Relieved that Luka wasn't going to press him into talking more about his financial issues, Dave nodded and winced at the same time, "The anesthetic is wearing off and it hurts a little," he replied, flexing his fingers. "I guess I sliced it open when the glass shattered..."

Luka watched as Dave stuffed a few fries into his mouth and watched as Dr. Romano talked with Nathan, Lucas, Erinn, Katie, and Daniel while he fed Joe little sips from one of the milk boxes.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, the lights in Luka's apartment came on as Luka, who had Joe in his arms, led Daniel and a very tired Dave, who was carrying the gift bag in his good hand, into the apartment. Once Dave and Daniel were inside, Luka closed and locked the door.

"Is it my bedtime already, Dad?" Daniel asked, as Dave walked over to the couch and sat down.

Dave shook his head and patted on the cushion next to him, "Come here a minute, Daniel," he said. "I want to give you your birthday present before I send you off to sleep in Joe's room."

Sensing that Dave wanted time alone with Daniel, Luka kissed Joe's forehead and carried the sleepy infant off to his bedroom for the night. Daniel sat down on the couch next to Dave.

"It's not a toy or anything fancy like you might have wanted, but I think you'll find it useful," Dave said nervously, as he handed Daniel the gift bag.

Daniel opened the bag and pulled out a dark blue hoodie, "Oh, wow!" he exclaimed, as he tossed his jacket off and put the hoodie on over his t-shirt. "I've always wanted a hoodie!"

Dave was shocked when Daniel spread his arms and hugged him tight, "Thank you so much, Dad!" he exclaimed, resting his head on Dave's shoulder. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, my Daniel, more than anything in the world," Dave replied as he returned the hug with a gentle intensity. "Now, I think it's time for you to go to bed, as I believe that you have school in the morning and you need to be alert for that...Am I right?"

Nodding, Daniel pulled away from Dave, "Goodnight Dad, I love you," he said.

As Daniel moved off to the bedroom that he and Joe shared, Dave laid down on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes suddenly felt very heavy and his body felt plain worn out.

"Dave, before you go to sleep, you left your sleeping pills at the ER," Luka, who had just put Joe to bed, said, as he walked back into the living room. "Why did he give you sleeping pills?"

Dave sighed, "Sometimes I have nightmares about stuff that happened in the past," he admitted, fighting off a yawn. "Doctor Romano's always been worried about my health since..."

"Since the death of your wife?" Luka asked, as he grabbed a glass from a kitchen shelf, filled it with water from the sink, and opened the bottle of sleeping pills that were now on the counter.

Even though that wasn't entirely true, as Romano had known him longer than that, Dave nodded, "Yeah," he lied. "Anyway, I should probably take one of those...they last about six hours or so."

Luka nodded and handed Dave a glass of water and one of the pills, "Here, I figured you would need it," he said, as he dumped the pill into Dave's palm.

Nodding, Dave put the pill into his mouth and took a swig of water, "I haven't taken one of these since I was in medical school and that was only because of Romano's intervention," he said.

Luka took the glass and, turning away, he moved over to the sink to wash it out, "I didn't know that you knew Doctor Romano when you were a medical student," he said as he turned the faucet on.

There was silence, so Luka quickly washed the glass and, setting it in the sink, he turned around.

Dave was laying on the couch fast asleep with his bandaged hand on his chest, as the sleeping pill had quickly worked and knocked him out as Luka was talking.

Smiling, Luka picked up a blanket that was on the floor and dropped it over Dave's sleeping form.

"Try and sleep well, Dave," Luka whispered as he walked off towards his bedroom to turn in.

* * *

Blinking to try and stay awake, Dave looked up at the digital clock that was on the corner wall of the Psych waiting area. It read 4:55 and Dr. DeRaad was nowhere to be seen.

Dave had slept until three and after being gently woken up by Luka, who was up checking both Daniel and Joe, he had gotten a shower, dressed in extra scrubs of Luka's and his white coat, ate a small amount of cereal, and had taken the EL to County. Once there, he had chosen to go through the front instead of through the ER, as it was the best way to avoid being a gossip victim.

Fortunately, he hadn't run into anyone he knew as he silently used the elevator to travel upstairs to the Psych floor. He had passed several nurses in the hall, but none of them knew who he was.

Relaxed, Dave slouched and looked up at the ceiling, he was completely alone for the moment and he had mixed feelings about it. He wasn't sure if he liked being completely alone.

The door suddenly opened and figuring that DeRaad had arrived, Dave looked down and was rather surprised that not only was Dr. DeRaad there, Dr. Greene was there with a medical bag.

"Um, I thought this was supposed to be a PRIVATE session," Dave nervously stated, as he rose from the couch. "No offense, but having Doctor Greene here is making me a little nervous."

As if he were expecting such an answer, Dr. DeRaad nodded, "I took the liberty of getting your past psychological history from Doctor Romano late last night," he stated, as he removed keys from his suit jacket pocket and unlocked the door to his office. "From what he tells me, the last time you had professional counseling, you suffered negative physical reactions throughout the entire session...Anyway, I thought that it would be prudent to ensure that a medical professional be present should such a physical reaction occur during the hypnotherapy."

Gulping, Dave avoided the shocked look Dr. Greene was giving him moved towards the door.

"Come in," Dr. DeRaad said, as he opened the door and turned his office light on. "Doctor Malucci, go and lie down on that couch," he instructed. "I want you to relax and trust that nothing bad is going to happen while you are under hypnosis, all right?"

Dave nodded and, walking over to the designated couch, he laid down and tried to relax.

"Doctor Greene, if you would close and lock the door," Dr. DeRaad instructed, as he moved over to his desk and pulled a watch from one of his desk drawers. "Then please have a seat on the chair closest to the door so you can keep an eye on Doctor Malucci's physical reactions during the session. I will be at my desk asking questions and maintaining the tape recorder...Also, Doctor Greene, remain still and silent during the process, unless there is a need for your intervention."

Dr. Greene closed and locked the door. He then sat where Dr. DeRaad had told him to.

Dr. DeRaad turned the tape recorder on and moved over to where Dave was laying.

"All right, Doctor Malucci, I want you to focus on the watch as it moves back and forth," Dr. DeRaad instructed, as he began to slowly swing the watch above Dave's eyes. "If you feel your body relaxing, allow it to happen naturally...You'll end up in a semi-conscious state...After you're under, I will ask you questions and I encourage you to be totally honest in your answers. When the session is over or if there's a problem, I'll clap my hands to pull you out of hypnosis, all right?"

Dave nodded and focused intensely on the swinging watch. He was beginning to feel tired again.

This was definitely more relaxed than the last time he had been in counselling, Dave thought, as he found himself slowly slipping into a semi-conscious states. He had been a teenager at the time and back then, he had been given drugs, tied to a table, and interrogated with lights in his eyes.

Feeling his eyes closing, Dave sighed and took a deep breath. He felt reality disappearing.

"Doctor Malucci, I want you to tell me what you did after you left the ER after being fired years ago," Dr. DeRaad instructed, as he moved back to his desk. "Be completely honest."

Mark silently looked over at Dr. DeRaad in absolute wonder. He must have heard about Dave's firing either from Kerry, Romano, or through the endless hospital gossip chain.

Remaining still on the couch, Dave sighed, "I was filled with a combination of anger and sadness about losing my job," he stated tonelessly. "I left the ER and I stood in the alley for two hours..."

"And what did you do that evening?" Dr. DeRaad asked, as he kept an eye on the running tape recorder.

"Well, since I had to wait until morning to clean my locker out, I went further down the alley and spent the night sleeping on the ground," Dave replied. "In the morning, I found a box in the alley and got the stuff out of my locker pretty quick. I saw Doctor Weaver in the staff room, but neither of us spoke...I guess calling her a Nazi Dyke the night before made her speechless...Anyway, she didn't care that I said I had a kid to support...Daniel was just an infant back then..."

Dr. DeRaad nodded, "Where was Daniel when you cleaned out your locker?" he asked. "

"Amy, she's like my sister, she was off from her residency at Mercy...Daniel was over at Doctor Romano's with her and her kids," Dave replied. "I spent that day walking the streets, wondering what I was going to do...how I was going to feed and clothe Daniel..."

Tears suddenly came to Dave's eyes even though he kept them closed, "As it was getting dark, I finally decided to go to Amy and tell her what happened," he said, his voice breaking. "I showed up at Doctor Romano's door in tears...Amy had already put all the kids to bed..."

Mark's eyes widened: he had no idea that Malucci had reacted so badly to being fired.

"What happened when you told her about your firing?" Dr. DeRaad asked, as he opened a notebook on his desk and began making notes.

"Well first of all, since it was freezing cold and I had no coat, she got me to come inside and got me some really warm tea to drink," Dave stated. "When I told her about what happened, she called Doctor Weaver a bunch of names that I would rather not repeat...Anyway, she then took me to one of the guest bedrooms and tucked me in for the night...I needed rest, she said..."

Dr. DeRaad nodded and made a few notes, "I was woken up some time later by Amy, who said I had been crying and was on the verge of yelling in my sleep," Dave continued. "I apologized and then Doctor Romano came in and complained that I had woken him up. Amy told him that I was having nightmares and he told Amy to give me a sleeping pill...I didn't want one, but Doctor Romano basically forced me to have one and as I fell asleep, he said that once I was awake, we would need to talk about the future...The last thing I remembered was being laid back down."

"How did Doctor Romano help you once you had gotten some rest?" Dr. DeRaad asked, as he exchanged a look with Dr. Greene, who was dumbfounded at what Dave was saying.

Dave sighed, but his eyes remained closed, "I don't know how he did it, but Doctor Romano made arrangements for me to complete my residency at Mercy without anyone knowing," he stated in a monotone voice. "Unlike County, my time and work at Mercy was well appreciated."

"From what I understand from Doctor Romano, you and his daughter opened a free clinic," Dr. DeRaad said as he made some more notes. "How did that come to pass?"

"It was Amy's idea, as she felt that neither of us would be able to last at hospitals because of our unique personalities," Dave replied. "I...I might have to close it now that she's missing and possibly dead...I don't think I have time to maintain it and everything else I have to do."

More tears came to Dave's eyes and his breathing suddenly shallowed, "I-I know who took her and I can't rescue her this time," he gasped. "I can't save someone who actually cares about me..."

Dave suddenly clenched his uninjured hand and gasped, as if trying to get a breath. He was still under hypnosis and couldn't get out of it, even though he was panicking.

* * *

A few moments later, Dave had still not calmed down and Dr. Greene glared at Dr. DeRaad, as speaking would disrupt the session.

Dr. DeRaad suddenly shut off the recorder and clapped his hands three times and instead of waking up, Dave suddenly went limp and his breathing was weak.

Frowning, Dr. Greene rose, carried the medical bag over to the couch and pulled out a stethoscope, "Doctor Malucci, can you hear me?" he asked, as he placed the stethoscope on Dave's chest.

"I can hear you," Dave replied as he opened his eyes. "Is it over?"

Mark moved away as Dave sat up and looked at his bandaged hand, "I need to get to the ER," he said in a tired voice. "I'm on at seven and I don't need a chewing out from Weaver...not today."

"It's only six-thirty," Mark replied, as he placed a hand on Dave's shoulder. "Give yourself a moment to relax and get your mind straight. If you want, I can cover for you this morning..."

Dave shook his head, "I'm fine, Doctor Greene," he stated tonelessly. "I'm okay to work."

As if to prove his point, Dave sighed and got to his feet, "I think keeping busy is the best thing for me to do right now," he said. "Thank you for the session, Doctor DeRaad."

"I'll go over what you've told me and contact you about future sessions, Doctor Malucci," Dr. DeRaad stated. "I think we've made some progress here...Try and take it easy today."

Nodding, Dave walked out of the office. Mark stuffed the stethoscope back into the medical bag and followed after him. He finally caught up to Dave as he approached the elevators.

"You can't do traumas with that hand," Mark said, as he watched Dave press the down button.

"I'll do chart workups, I'll supervise med-students or interns, I'll even help out at the desk," Dave stated, his tone of voice daring Dr. Greene to argue with him. "Whatever I need to do to keep busy."

The elevator door opened and both men stepped into the elevator, "Oh, Doctor Greene?" Dave said, as he looked at Mark. "I would very much appreciate it if you didn't repeat anything that you heard during the session with Doctor DeRaad. I would rather keep that stuff private..."

"I'm not going to tell anyone what happened or even that you saw Doctor DeRaad," Mark promised as the doors slid shut and the elevator began to move downward. "If anyone asks, I'll just say you came in early to work on old charts...Nobody will question that excuse."

As the elevator door opened on the ER floor, Dave nodded and, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his white coat, he walked off down the hallway towards the desk. Mark stepped from the elevator and watched as Dave walked in silence, looking straight ahead.

Mark sighed and walked off to the nearest exam room to sleep, as his shift didn't start until nine and he had gotten up early at Dr. Romano's request to come and supervise the hypnosis session.

It was doubtful that he would get much sleep, however, as his mind was reeling and nearly overwhelmed by what Dave had said while under hypnosis. He had never heard Dave reveal so much about himself or much emotion. Then again, nobody had ever bothered to ask.

Hopefully, Mark thought, as he went into an exam room and over to the bed, Doctor Faith would soon be found alive and Dave would be able to focus a little easier with the support of his "sister."

Mark laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Even though he could use emotional support right now, Dave would hide the past from public ears and try not to let it damage his future.


	7. Tactics of Survival

Two weeks had passed since Dr. Faith had gone missing and there had been so sign of her.

Yet, as time didn't stop, life went on and it was easier to keep going than it was for others.

Desperate to hide his traumatic past from his colleagues, Dave had forced himself into a routine and behind a mask that made it seem like everything was okay. He was very good at pretending.

There had been no more sessions with Dr. DeRaad because of his full schedule, yet there had been a private agreement that once a slot opened up, another meeting would take place. If no slot opened up, Dave had agreed to return to hypnosis counselling in the new year.

In the meantime, both Dr. Romano and DeRaad had encouraged Dave to come to a balance between work, raising Daniel, and emotionally sorting out his past, which he had promised to do.

However, with Christmas drawing nearer, Dave found himself under even more pressure to save up money so that he could buy Daniel some half-decent Christmas presents. He had confided in Nathan and made him swear not to tell anyone and Nathan had given his word, despite him and his siblings living with Dr. Romano and being forbidden from lying about anything.

Since he and Daniel still lived with Luka and Joe, food and shelter was no longer a problem, yet Dave wanted to be able to provide at least one decent present for his son. He was still working in the ER to pay off his medical bill and not getting paid, nor did he want to borrow any more money.

With some quick talking, Dave had managed to get shifts from seven to three, afterwards taking the EL to Daniel's school and picking him up. He and Daniel would then play together on the playground equipment until it started to get dark, as it was one of the few inexpensive activities that they could do together, as money was very tight.

From there, Dave and Daniel would take the EL back to Luka's and, thanks to Luka giving him a spare key, Dave was able to get them into the apartment and use Luka's food to make them dinner. After dinner, Dave would either help Daniel with homework or read to him until it was time for Daniel to go to bed. He would put Daniel to bed and then sleep while he waited for Luka.

When Luka and Joe did get home, it would usually be nearly 10. While Luka put Joe to bed, Dave would wake up and sneak out with another set of keys that he kept secret from everyone.

With what money he could spare, Dave would take the EL back to Daniel's school and, despite his stitched up hand, he would do janitorial work until about three a.m. After locking the school back up, he would walk to County and sleep in the lounge, depending on whether or not it was busy.

Luka didn't mind taking Daniel to school, as Joe liked the car rides and although he secretly knew that Dave kept sneaking out to hold down a night job, he wasn't sure what to do about it.

Once the stitches had been taken out of his hand, Dave was then able to take care of shovelling the playground paths, sidewalks, and cleaning the equipment off despite the continual cold.

Unfortunately, because of the continued cold spell and strange sleeping hours, Dave found that the continued stress was taking a toll on his health. Yet, he couldn't stop working so hard: he had to keep trying to prove to himself that he was competent.

* * *

The digital clock over the lounge door switched to 0400 as Dave walked into the ER wearing scrubs that he had again borrowed from Luka and his special white coat.

"Morning Doctor Malucci," Frank, who was at the desk doing paperwork, said, as Dave walked approached the desk. "You're in early today."

Dave nodded and coughed, "Are there any patients to see, Frank?" he asked, as he moved around the desk to look at the board.

"Last one was discharged around two," Frank replied, concerned by the dark circles under Dr. Malucci's eyes and his strange cough. "Carter's sleeping in the lounge and Doctor Greene is upstairs in the cafeteria...If you could use a little more sleep, I think Exam One is open."

Giving Frank a grateful smile, Dave signed in and walked off in the direction of Exam One.

Unfortunately, what Dave didn't realize is that the day would soon turn into proverbial chaos.

The clock read 0600 when Carter, who had been able to catch up on sleep that he had missed the other night while talking with Abby at his house, strode out of the lounge.

At his insistence, Abby was still at the mansion and just relaxing until he was able to get off later and they could talk some more. They were slowly falling back in love with eachother.

"Any patients, Frank?" Carter asked, as he strode over to the desk.

Frank shook his head, "Malik's sleeping in Curtain Area One, Doctor Greene's still upstairs in the cafeteria, and Doctor Malucci is sleeping in Exam One...Weaver's not on until nine...Doctor Benton and Doctor Finch are on at eight."

"Malucci's here already?" Carter asked, suddenly curious. "I thought he wasn't on until seven."

Not wanting to start gossiping about Dr. Malucci and get the wrath of Dr. Weaver, Frank shrugged and turned away. Carter scoffed, Malucci had been getting a lot of special treatment lately, as if he were suddenly made of glass. Everyone was acting as if they suddenly cared about Malucci.

An idea suddenly came to mind, causing Carter to grin maliciously. He could play a little prank on Malucci to remind him that he still had respect to earn and that he was still the "low man."

However, he would need help to pull the prank off. He went off to wake Malik up so he could help.

* * *

"I'm almost done with the restraints, Malik," Carter whispered, so not to wake Dave until the prank was completely set up. "Just wheel that surgical light over...There, he's tied up tight."

Carter had woken up Malik and after telling him the idea and sending him to Exam One to make sure that Dr. Malucci was still asleep, he had gotten some restraints and a surgical light.

"All right, flip the light on," Carter whispered, as he stepped quietly away from the gurney.

Light suddenly hit Dave's face and as Dave woke up gasping, Carter and Malik turned away laughing at the effectiveness of their prank. They weren't unaware that Dave was quietly panicking on the gurney, whispering that he didn't want to die as he trembled violently, as if he were trapped.

"Sorry about that, Dave," Carter said, as he flipped the regular light on. "Just having a little fun."

Concerned that Dr. Malucci wasn't saying anything, Malik moved back over to the gurney and was horrified to see that he was laying motionless on the gurney.

"Doctor Malucci's not breathing, Carter," Malik said, as he placed his ear on Dave's chest and didn't hear any breath sounds and then started checking other vitals. "Skin is cold and clammy..."

Carter ran over and shook Dave's shoulders, wondering if Dave was faking, "Dave?" he asked, concerned when there was no response. "Malik, I'm getting Doctor Greene."

As Carter ran from the room, Malik swore and began doing mouth-to-mouth.

Although the prank had originally sounded like a good idea, as it would be something to do to pass the time until patients came in. Now, however, Malik regretted having any part of it.

A few minutes passed and suddenly, the door opened, "What happened?" Mark asked, as he rushed into the room and saw Malik doing chest compressions on Dave.

"Uh, I kind of played a little prank on Dave while he was sleeping," Carter replied, as he came into the room. "I put him in restraints and flashed a surgical light in his face. When I turned on the lights to apologize, Malik noticed that Dave was unresponsive and not breathing..."

Suddenly, Dave sputtered and began gasping for air, but his eyes didn't open, "Malik, stop compressions and check his blood pressure," Mark ordered, as he pulled an oxygen mask from the wall and placed it over Dave's face.

"BP's low, 90/60," Malik stated, as he pulled the cuff from Dave's arm.

Mark nodded as he adjusted the oxygen output, "Carter, start an IV of saline," he ordered, as he moved towards the door. "I'm going to phone upstairs to Anspaugh and then I'll be back. Malik, if Malucci wakes up, keep him lying down and tell him to relax..."

Realizing that he could end up suspended for his little prank, Carter gulped and moved over to the medical cabinet to grab an IV bag. As Mark left the room, Carter moved back over to the gurney.

"What...What are you sticking in my arm, Carter?" Dave suddenly asked as he opened his eyes, only to find a mask on his face and something being stuck in his arm. "Why am I restrained?"

Carter's eyes widened and, finishing the IV, he began to quickly untie the restraints, "You were sleeping and I thought it would be funny to tie you to the bed and shine a surgical light in your face to wake you up," he confessed, throwing the restraints on the floor. "I am so sorry, Dave."

Dave was silent for a moment and then sat up, "Woah, Doctor Greene says that you're supposed to stay laying down and relax," Malik said in an alarmed tone. "He'll be back in a minute."

"Well, if Doctor Greene has a problem with it, he can fire me himself or get Doctor Weaver to do it," Dave replied, as he swung his legs over the bed and tossed the mask away. "I'll keep the IV in until it runs dry, but I am not going to lay in here like a helpless patient."

Glaring at Carter, Dave rose and used the IV pole to support himself, "Does anyone know if Doctor DeRaad or Doctor Romano are on yet?" he asked, as he moved towards the door.

"Dave, maybe you should wait for Doctor Greene to come back.." Carter started to say, only to have Dave walk out of the room. "Dave..."

* * *

Having just reported Carter's actions to Dr. Anspaugh on the phone, Dr. Greene hung up the phone just in time to see Dave storm into the lounge holding the IV pole with the IV still in his arm.

"Doctor Greene, both Malik and I tried to get Malucci to rest," Carter said, as he stopped to rest from running after Dave. "I tried to apologize, but he wouldn't even listen..."

Mark sighed, "Carter, I think you'd better give Malucci some space," he recommended.

"Why is everyone suddenly so nice to Malucci all of a sudden?" Carter snapped in frustration before he could stop himself. "He's been acting weird and you all treat him like glass...Wait, has Malucci got a drug problem or something? Everyone around here...is Malucci an addict?"

Shaking his head, Mark glared at Carter, "No, Malucci is not an addict," he replied. "He's just got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders with working here and raising a son."

"Why isn't Malucci's wife helping him raise Daniel?" Carter snapped, annoyed that Mark seemed to be sidestepping his question about Malucci being a drug addict. "From what I know about him, Malucci could hardly take care of himself, let alone raise a child responsibly without help."

The lounge door suddenly swung open and shut, "My wife has been dead since Daniel was nearly a month old," a familiar voice said. "He was about two or so when I was fired from County.."

Mark and Carter turned to see Dave standing behind them with a bottle of apple juice in one hand while he held on to the IV pole with the other, "Dave, I-." Carter said, suddenly embarrassed.

"I was a third-year medical student when it happened, my wife was an LPN at the same hospital in Grenada," Dave continued, holding up his hand to silence Carter. "Daniel had just been born a month earlier and Amy was a big help with him, despite being a single mother to three kids already...Anyway, we decided to take a little drive after work and we end up crashing because some person cut the brakes on my car...I got out and tried to save my wife, but I was stabbed."

Mark's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, as he wanted Dave to start getting stress out of his system in a healthy fashion and talking about it was the healthiest way to heal. As long as Dave didn't hit Carter, things were under control.

Carter's mouth dropped open, "Stabbed?" he asked, wondering if Dave was joking about it or not, as he had been stabbed years before and had suffered some nasty after effects from it. "Why?"

"Well, Carter, I beat up a guy for hurting his ex and he wasn't too thrilled about it," Dave replied, his voice calm as he looked Carter in the eye. "He somehow found out who I was, stalked me while I was on rounds, and found out where I parked my car during the daytime...Apparently, he then followed my car on a motorcycle and stabbed me as I tried to save my wife from dying."

Dave suddenly broke off coughing and stumbled back into the lounge with a hand on his chest.

"Malucci?" Mark asked, concerned that another panic attack was going to happen.

There was another cough and a sigh, "I'm all right, just a little dry mouth from talking too much," Mark heard Dave's voice say. "It's still a half hour before my shift, so I'm gonna crash on the couch for a bit...Wake me if we get busy...The IV will be done by seven, I think."

Carter looked at the clock above the door and was shocked to see that it was six-thirty already.

An ambulance with sirens wailing suddenly pulled up. Mark looked at Carter expectantly.

"Let Doctor Malucci sleep until his shift starts," Mark said. "Carter, go and handle it. I'll get Malik and we'll join you in Trauma One."

Carter nodded and walked out into the ambulance bay. Mark sighed and moved off to find Malik.

* * *

It was 7:01 and Kerry Weaver came into the ER with a sobbing Henry on one shoulder and a fully stocked diaper bag on the other shoulder. Frank raised an eyebrow as she approached the desk.

"My usual babysitter called in sick and a temp's not coming by for another hour," Kerry complained, as she gave Frank a look that told him not to ask questions. "How come there isn't anything going on in the ER right now? Where are all the doctors?"

"Malucci's sleeping in the lounge, been here since four," Frank stated, as he worked on the computer. "Carter and Greene are upstairs in Doctor Anspaugh's office with Doctor Romano."

Kerry blinked in surprise, "Malucci's been here since four?" she asked, as she gently began to bounce Henry in an attempt to calm him down. "Why was Malucci in so early this morning?"

"I have no idea, he's in the lounge if you want to ask him," Frank, who had been sworn to secrecy by Dr. Greene about earlier events. "There's a lot of paperwork I have to do yet."

As she was used to Frank's mannerisms, Kerry nodded and carried Henry off towards the lounge.

The slam of a locker and a baby's cry woke Dave from his slumber on the couch just in time to see Dr. Weaver standing at her locker with a sobbing baby in her arms.

"Oh, hey Doctor Weaver," Dave said, fighting off a yawn. "What time is it?"

Kerry walked over to the couch, "Just after seven, but from what Frank tells me, you were here at four," she said, as she tried to calm Henry down by bouncing him. "Have a good sleep?"

Blinking, Dave sat up and nodded, "Who's the kid?" he asked, suddenly noticing the sobbing baby in Dr. Weaver's arms.

"I was in this marriage-like relationship with a firefighter named Sandy Lopez a while ago," Kerry explained, as she took a seat on the couch beside him. "She passed away and after a huge custody battle, I was able to keep Henry...I usually have a babysitter for him while I'm at work, but she called in sick today and a temporary one isn't coming until eight.."

The sound of sirens could suddenly be heard outside. Kerry groaned, she didn't need this today.

"Hey, Chief, if you want, I could look after Henry until the temp gets here," Dave offered, holding out his arms.

Kerry gave Dave a questioning look and then carefully handed Henry over to him. Dave studied Henry for a moment and then carefully removed his jacket, hat, gloves, and boots. He also undid the top button of Henry's shirt. Almost immediately, Henry stopped crying and looked up at Dave.

"If a baby gets too warm, they start to feel smothered and will cry until they're cooled down a bit," Dave explained. "At least, that's what I remember from when Daniel was a baby. If I dressed him too warmly, he used to scream his head off. I couldn't even take him outside sometimes in the summer, as it would be too hot. We'd sit inside and he'd sleep while I studied."

Intrigued, Kerry pulled the diaper bag off her shoulder and opened it, "Was this in Grenada?" she asked, as she handed Dave a prepped bottle to give to Henry. "If I remember correctly, didn't you go to medical school in Grenada?"

As he offered the bottle to Henry and Henry began to suck on it, Dave nodded, "Yeah, Daniel was born when I was barely into my third year of medical school," he replied. "It was a struggle trying to balance finishing school with raising him, but I had Amy as a good friend. She helped me out a lot...even though she had three kids already..She would watch Daniel when I was at the hospital."

"What about Daniel's mother?" Kerry asked, noticing that Dave had not yet mentioned his wife.

Dave was quiet for a moment, "Dana was an LPN at the hospital where I did my field work," he stated in a gentle voice of reminiscence. "She passed away when Daniel was a month old."

Henry finished the bottle and suddenly burped. Smiling, Dave set the empty bottle on the couch and gently lifted Henry to his shoulder, "You've got quite a son here, Doctor Weaver," he said, as he gently burped Henry. "He seems like he also sees you as quite a good mother."

Kerry smiled and seemed like she wanted to talk to Malucci more about his dead wife, but, before she could, the door opened and Malik poked his head into the room, "Doctor Weaver, Doctor Malucci, we have a multiple MVA coming in...ETA is five minutes." he reported.

"You go ahead, Chief, I'll keep an eye on Henry until the other babysitter gets here," Dave said, as he gently shifted Henry down into his arms. "I think Carter and Doctor Greene are around to help."

Grateful that Malucci was willing to help her out, Kerry nodded and rose from the couch, "Thank you," she replied, as she left the lounge.

Dave nodded and began quietly talking to Henry, who quickly fell asleep in Dave's arms.

* * *

Across town, in a suburban neighborhood, Peter and Cleo walked out of a house followed by Jackie, Peter's very kind sister. Reese was sick and would be staying home from school that day.

Unfortunately, even though they wanted to stay home with Reese, both Peter and Cleo had to go work at County. Cleo had just gotten back from a pediatric conference in New York the night before and although she was tired, walking to the EL with Peter would wake her up.

Reese was in bed, but Cleo and Peter had reassured him that they would be back that night.

Peter had given Jackie detailed instructions and after Jackie reassured him that Reese would be just fine, he and Cleo had begun the walk to the station discussing their Christmas plans.

"...Peter, you are NOT singing at the ER party!" Cleo exclaimed as they walked down the street.

Peter gave Cleo a look and then started to laugh, "I guess glass would break if I started to sing, huh?" he replied, stepping closer to Cleo, as he wanted to kiss her.

As their lips met, a piercing scream sounded and a shot was fired.

Pulling apart, Cleo and Peter suddenly saw a battered woman running away from an enraged looking man whose face was covered in pepper spray and had a gun aimed at her. Peter released Cleo and they ran to the woman. Cleo and Peter grabbed hold of the frightened woman.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE TRAMP!" the man shouted, as he cocked the gun.

"I-I need Dave, I need to get to County," Amy, who recognized Peter, gasped, as she struggled to stay on her feet. "Doctor Benton, I need to get to County...I need Doctor Malucci..."

Before Peter could reply, the gun went off several times. He turned just in time to see Cleo fall to the ground and he suddenly felt intense pain. Amy swore, but the gunman was running off.

"I've been shot...Cleo," Peter gasped, as he sank to the ground.

Immediately forgetting that she had endured two weeks of intense suffering at the hands of Elton, who she had just escaped from by spraying him and running, Amy swung into doctor mode.

Amy immediately saw that Dr. Benton had been shot in the abdomen and the wound was bleeding badly. She took off her tattered jacket, put it in a ball, and placed it over the wound. She then grabbed Peter's gloved hand and pressed it down on the jacket. Peter gasped in pain.

"It hurts...Cleo," Peter gasped, as he gazed up at the woman. "Doctor Faith?"

Nodding, Amy felt around Peter's jacket and extracted a cell phone from one of the pockets, "I am going to call for an ambulance and I want you to press down on that wound," she instructed. "Stay awake and keep pressing down on that wound, all right?"

Peter nodded and fought to stay awake, "Cleo, she's hurt," he gasped. "You look hurt too..."

"Don't worry about that," Amy replied, as she phoned 9-1-1, "Dispatch, this is Doctor Amy Romano and I need an ambulance...I have two GSW's here and they're both critical..."

As Peter lay there, pressing down on his abdomen, he wondered if itoday was his day to die.

A few moments later, Amy had placed the phone on the sidewalk, "You still awake, Doctor Benton?" she asked, as she turned her attention to Cleo.

"Yeah, I'm still awake," Peter replied, as he kept pressure on the gunshot wound.

Amy nodded and, realizing that Cleo wasn't breathing, she checked Cleo's airway and was horrified to see blood in her throat. She pulled a pen from Cleo's jacket and extracted a small knife that she had hidden from Elton in her sock. A tracheotomy had do be done right away. She was hurt, yes, but Cleo and Peter were hurt a lot worse.

"I'm so sorry that I have to do this," Amy whispered, as she undid Cleo's coat and her collar buttons, exposing her neck. "It's the only way to save your life..."

On the ground, Peter heard Amy and tears came to his eyes, but he remained awake as ordered. Dr. Faith was crazy, but as he was hurt a lot worse, he was going to obey.

In silence, Amy opened the knife and began the trach. She could hear sirens in the distance.


	8. Trust Is To Be Earned

"...Ma'am, get off the gurney!" a paramedic shouted, as the gurney containing Cleo was on was rolled into the ER with Amy on top of Cleo, frantically doing CPR.

Having just given Henry over to the temporary babysitter, Dave rushed around the desk, "Amy, what-?" he asked, as he followed alongside the gurney as it was rolled towards the trauma room.

"Dave, I need your help," Amy replied, as the gurney was rolled into the trauma room. "I had to trach her...Get a trach tube...Doctor Benton is coming in on the next ambulance..."

Dave grabbed a trach tube and moved over to the gurney, "Oh man, it's Cleo," he gasped, suddenly noticing that Amy's face was battered. "Amy, what did he do to you?"

"Dave, insert the trach tube," Amy barked, not caring that she was injured. "I'll keep doing CPR."

Before Dave could react, Dr. Greene and Dr. Weaver came into the room, "What's going on here?" Dr. Weaver asked, looking over at the woman on the gurney doing compressions.

"It's Cleo," Dave stated, as he began inserting on the trach tube. "Doctor Faith's doing CPR."

Dr. Greene and Dr. Weaver exchanged a glance, "Doctor Benton's in the next ambulance," Amy shouted, as she got off the gurney and listened for breathing sounds. "Dave, is the tube in?"

Mark moved around and hooked Cleo to a monitor, "Ugh, heart rate's dropping...vitals?" he asked.

Loud sirens drowned out Dave's reply, "Mark, stay in here and keep an eye on things," Kerry ordered, as she moved out of the room. "I'll get Carter..."

"Get a chest tube tray and a nurse in here!" Amy shouted, as she snatched Dave's stethoscope from around his neck. "Dave, crack her chest...Got at least one tension pneumo..."

Suddenly, a flatline sounded. Amy swore and began doing compressions yet again, "Dave, get that tray and crack her chest NOW," she screamed, her voice breaking.

In the next trauma room, Peter had been wheeled in and Carter entered the room, "Doctor Benton," he gasped, as he moved over to the gurney beside Kerry.

Peter was on the gurney with a hand still pressing down on Dr. Faith's torn jacket, "Doctor Faith told me to do this," he weakly stated. "Where's Cleo?"

Carter lifted Dr. Benton's hand and moved the jacket, "GSW to the abdomen," he reported, as he stepped away so a nurse could cut his clothes off. "Kerry, where's the exit wound?"

Kerry looked up into the other trauma room. Dave and Dr. Faith were clustered around Cleo with a few nurses and Dr. Greene was lingering near the door, looking solemn. She looked back at Carter, who was now examining the wound and looking ready to cry or scream.

"Page surgery and tell them to get down here STAT!" Carter shouted, as a nurse began starting IV's and handed Carter some large gauze pads. "How are his vitals?"

"BP's 90/50 and falling...pulse is 89...resps 70," Lydia reported.

Peter turned his head to look into the other trauma room, "Cleo..." he whispered.

Carter frowned and moved over to Dr. Benton's head, "Just relax, Doctor Benton," he said, gently easing a mask over Peter's face. "Surgery should be here soon...just relax."

"Somebody phone Jackie, tell her what happened," Peter weakly spoke, his voice muffled by the mask. "How am I going to tell Reese?"

Unsure of what to do, Carter took Peter's hand. Both of them watched the drama unfold next door.

* * *

Having been told by a secretary that his daughter was in the ER with a severely injured Dr. Finch and Dr. Benton, Dr. Romano ran into the ER and past the desk, "What is going ON around here?" he yelled, as he came to a stop outside Trauma One and saw Peter being prepped for transport, "Where is Doctor Malucci, my daughter, and Doctor Finch?"

Annoyed that nobody would give him a response, Dr. Romano moved over to the next trauma room and was shocked to see both Dave and Amy trying to rescuscitate Dr. Finch. The door opened and as a nurse left, Dr. Romano heard a flatline. He entered the room.

"How long has she been down?" Dr. Romano asked as he stopped at the end of the table.

Amy didn't reply, she continued doing compressions. Dave looked at the clock and back at Amy.

"Amy, it's been almost 30 minutes," Dave said softly, hurting because of Dr. Finch's death.

With a sigh, Amy stopped compressions, "Time of death...08:30." she stated, as she gazed at the clock and ignored Dr. Romano's presence. "How's Doctor Benton doing?"

"They're prepping him for transport to the O.R., I think," Dr. Romano replied. "Now that your case is over, Amy, I think you should have Doctor Malucci have a look at you."

Dave put an arm around Amy, "We'll use Exam Five," he softly whispered in Amy's ear. "Did he rape you this time?"

Before Amy could reply, Carter and Kerry rolled the gurney containing Dr. Benton out of the trauma room and down the hallway towards the elevators. Dr. Greene entered the room.

"All right, Doctor Faith, I think you should get checked out," Mark said, as he watched Dave hold Amy close and listened to her cry. "If you'll come with me, we can get you on a gurney."

Amy shook her head, "The only doctor that touches me is Dave, unless he asks for assistance,"

she replied. "Dave, help me WALK to..what did you say, Exam Five?"

Nodding, Dave began to help Amy move and she suddenly started to slip, "Okay, I think you need a wheelchair at least," Dave said, as he bent down told hold Amy upright. "Doctor Greene-"

As if he could read Dave's mind, Mark grabbed a wheelchair and maneuvered it behind Dr. Faith.

"Dave, I need an abdominal ultrasound, blood tests, some IV's to hydrate me, and a rape exam," Amy whispered in a frightened tone as Dave helped her sit in the wheelchair.

Remaining silent, as he was mad that Elton had raped Amy yet again, Dave wheeled Amy out of the trauma room and towards the exam rooms. "Do you need anything, Doctor Malucci?" he asked, as he followed Dave and Amy. "I can send you a nurse if you need help."

Dave was silent for a moment, "Please make sure it's a female nurse," he whispered. "Make sure they bring an ultrasound machine, IV's, and a rape kit...Also, a pregnancy test."

Even though his mind was full of questions, Mark nodded and silently watched as Dave wheeled Amy into the exam room, gently whispering reassuring words as the door swung shut.

As he walked down the hall to gather what Dave needed, Mark found himself intrigued by Dave's sudden compassion towards Amy. Perhaps they did see each other as brother and sister.

* * *

Carter watched as the Dr. Corday and Dr. Anspaugh scrubbed and turned to Dr. Benton, who was laying on a gurney in silence, watching as nurses prepped him for surgery. There was bloodstained gauze over the bullet wound and there was an IV in Dr. Benton's arm.

"Carter, where's Cleo?" Peter, who was slowly becoming sleepy from all the prep, asked as Carter approached the gurney. "When I was being taken upstairs, Malucci and Doctor Faith were working on her...Have they brought her upstairs yet?"

As he didn't want to be the one to tell Peter that Cleo had died in the ER, Carter bit his lip and looked down. Peter would get upset and blame Malucci if he heard that Cleo was dead.

"Carter, where is Cleo?" Peter, uncomfortable by Carter's silence, again asked, his voice sharp.

There was silence and Carter looked up at Peter with tears in his eyes, "Um, the ER called upstairs a few minutes ago," he replied, his voice breaking. "Amy and Malucci did everything they could...Amy did a trach...they worked on her for half an hour, but they couldn't save her..."

"That Doctor Faith is the craziest doctor I've ever met," Peter said in a groggy voice as one of the O.R. nurses injected something into his IV. "I don't know what it was about her, but I managed to to stay awake through the whole thing...even in the ER, when I was being worked on."

The door opened just then and another nurse entered the room, "Doctor Benton, Doctor Corday and Doctor Anspaugh are ready for you," she said, as she walked over to the gurney.

"Carter, thank you," Peter stated groggily as the nurses wheeled him out of pre-op and into the operating theatre.

Carter watched for a moment as Peter was put under and then he left the pre-op room.

* * *

Annoyed that the test results were taking so long to come back from the lab, Dave came over to the desk. He had left Amy in the exam room resting comfortably with Haleh for company.

"Jerry, have the test results come back on Doctor Faith yet?" Dave asked, suddenly breaking off to cough violently. "Will you please get a fan at the desk? It is WAY too warm in here."

Jerry shrugged and Dave began to cough yet again, this time placing a hand on his chest.

"Doctor Malucci, are you all right?" Kerry, who had see Dave coughing at the desk, asked, as she came over to the desk. "You sound like you're getting sick."

Dave shook his head and was about to say he was fine when he began to cough again.

Kerry sighed and suddenly noticed Carter walking back into the ER, having just been upstairs.

"John, do you have a moment?" Kerry asked, as she grabbed a blank chart from the counter.

Carter nodded, "Yeah, Kerry, what's up?" he asked, wondering why Dave was standing there.

Before Kerry could reply, Dr. Romano came striding into the ER with a stern look on his face.

"Doctor Malucci, why is Amy still in the ER?" Dr. Romano asked, giving Dave a pointed look.

Trying to keep his temper in check, Dave sighed and suddenly broke into a coughing fit.

"All right, I will phone the lab and see what is going on with those test results," Romano barked, as he turned towards the phone. "Doctor Carter, Kerry, take Malucci to Exam Two and work him up.."

Dave shot a glare at Dr. Romano, but before he could reply, a woman approached the desk.

"Excuse me, I'm Jackie Robbins, Doctor Benton's sister," Jackie said breathlessly, having run from the EL to the ER. "I got a call from the police saying that Peter was shot..."

Kerry nodded, "I'm Doctor Weaver," she said, as she walked around the desk. "From what I understand, Doctor Benton is still in surgery, but I can take you to the O.R. waiting room."

Jackie nodded and followed Kerry off down the hallway. Romano looked at Carter and Dave.

"Doctor Carter, take Doctor Malucci to Exam One and work him up, as he is obviously sick with something," Dr. Romano ordered, as he snatched Amy's chart from Dave and moved off down the hallway towards the elevators and stairs. "Do not admit him, even if he is sick...Understand?"

Dave glared at Carter, obviously uncomfortable, "I'm not going to sit in a wheelchair," Dave snapped, as he walked off towards Exam One. "Are you coming, Doctor Carter?"

Wondering why Dave was suddenly so angry, Carter nodded and followed Dave down the hall.

* * *

"I will NOT remove my coat or shirt!" Dave yelled, his voice anxious as he got up from the gurney and began to pace the room, ignoring Carter and Lydia's concerned looks. "Where's Luka? I would rather he do this..."

Carter sighed and held the chart to his chest, "Luka's not on today, he's probably at home spending time with Joe," he replied, worried about Dave's sudden anxiety.

Dave scoffed and suddenly saw the clock, which read 12 noon, "Oh man, I was gonna take an hour off and get Daniel at school so we could have lunch together at Luka's," he said, breaking off into another coughing fit. "It's too hot in here and my chest is killing me...UGH!"

Suddenly, an idea came to Carter, "Do you want to use my cell phone and you can call Luka to tell him to take Daniel back to your apartment?" he suggested, pulling his phone from his coat pocket.

"I don't HAVE an apartment anymore, Carter," Dave quietly said, as he took the cell phone and dialed Luka's number, "...Hey, Luka, can you make sure that Daniel has some lunch?...Yes, I know I sound terrible, I'm sick and Romano is making Carter work me up...I will probably be taken off the schedule until I'm better...I'll probably take the EL back to your place...All right, Luka, I won't walk back to your place...see you in a couple of hours, bye."

Dave shut the phone and placed it on the portable table, "Daniel and I were evicted some time ago," he stated, taking a seat back on the gurney, "We've been living with Luka and Joe.."

Uncomfortable, Carter placed the chart on the portable table, "Um, I could get Doctor Romano to do this if you'd be more comfortable," he stated, exchanging a look with Lydia.

Dave replied by taking his coat off and setting it gently on the bed beside him. He then took his scrub shirt off and set it on top of the coat, "Go ahead, Carter," he replied tonelessly.

Carter nodded and moved around to Dave's back, "Woah," he said, shocked speechless by the gruesome scar down Dave's back, the smaller knife wounds, and the healed bruises. "Um, Dave, do you want an MRI for your back so they can see if there's nerve damage that might contribute to the way you're feeling?"

"I can't afford luxury tests like MRI's, as I am going to have to pay for this out of my own pocket," Dave replied. "I just need to know if I have pneumonia...I have all the symptoms, so examine me."

Dave broke off into another coughing fit, "Okay, maybe you should lie down for a minute, Dave," Carter said, worried that Dave would pass out from all the coughing and fall on the floor.

Nodding, Dave was about to lie down when he suddenly heard shouting coming from the hallway.

Frowning, as he thought he could hear Amy's voice, Dave got off the bed and put his scrub shirt back on, as well as his white coat, "If you'll excuse me," Dave muttered as he left the room.

Carter stood there for a minute, speechless. He then sighed and left the room with Lydia in tow.

* * *

"...Amy, please, just get back on the gurney," Carter heard Dave say, as he walked down the hallway and saw Dave standing next to an empty gurney, holding Amy upright as she glared at Dr. Corday, who looked as if she had been slapped. "Doctor Corday, what happened?"

Elizabeth ignored Dave and brightened at the approaching Carter, "Doctor Carter, Doctor Faith says that she's refusing surgery," she said in a clipped tone.

Dave gave Amy a questioning look, "Doctor Corday, I SAID that I want another doctor to operate," she replied in a frosty tone.

"Why do you not want Doctor Corday's help?" Dave asked in a concerned tone, ignoring the sudden congestion that was building up in his chest.

Annoyed that Dr. Malucci wouldn't go away, Dr. Corday glared at him, "I suggest you shut it and let myself and Doctor Carter handle this, Malucci," she hissed angrily. "She's not your patient."

Amy sighed and glared at Dr. Corday, "I would rather bleed to death than allow you to perform surgery on me," she snapped angrily. "Let me tell you something, Doctor Corday...You have a poor attitude and you degraded Dave's confidence so much that he almost quit medicine."

Dave gulped and gently placed a hand on Amy's shoulder, "C'mon, Amy, just sit back down and relax," he said, as he gently sat Amy down on the gurney. "You'll make yourself worse."

"Dave, back when you had the ruptured spleen, Doctor Corday wouldn't even operate on you until Doctor Greene told her about Daniel," Amy said, as she lifted her legs back on to the gurney.

Unfortunately, Mark chose that moment to come out of the lounge and overheard Amy's words.

"Doctor Greene, what Amy's saying...is it true?" Dave asked, as he turned to face Mark.

Not wanting to take sides, Mark looked at the floor. Dave nodded and turned away from him, as silence was enough to tell him that Dr. Corday would have let him die if not for Dr. Greene.

"Do me a favor, Doctor Corday, get away from my patient," Dave stated, a hint of anger in his voice. "Go back upstairs, I'll get someone else to operate...Amy, just relax."

Dr. Corday's eyes widened in anger and she turned and stormed out of the ER.

Feeling sudden congestion in his chest, Dave moved over to the desk and, leaning over, he placed a hand on his chest. He took a deep breath and winced, not noticing that Mark was coming over to him, "Malucci, are you all right?" he asked, gazing down at Dave.

"I think I might have pneumonia," Dave replied, as he straightened up. "Carter and Lydia were working me up when I heard Amy and Doctor Corday arguing. I'm starting not to feel real well."

Mark nodded and looked over at Amy, who was giving Dave a concerned look, "Do you mind if I take you upstairs and get you a different surgeon?" he asked.

Amy shrugged, "Dave, please get treated and I hope you feel better soon," she said, gazing at the man she considered a brother. "Doctor Greene will take good care of me...I hope Doctor Benton is okay, John...Dave, I'll call you once I'm out of Recovery, all right?"

Dave sighed and watched as Mark wheeled Amy off down the hallway towards the elevators.

"Carter, can we just go straight to x-ray and see how much fluid is in my lungs?" Dave asked in a tired voice as he walked over to an unoccupied wheelchair and sat down. "I just want to get this whole sickness thing over with...I'll probably lose my night job at Daniel's school because of this."

Carter frowned as he wheeled Dave down the hallway, with Lydia following, "I didn't know that you had a night job at Daniel's school?" he asked, as he wheeled Dave into an empty elevator.

"I've been doing janitorial work there from about 11 to three," Dave stated as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "I have to make sure Daniel has a half-decent Christmas...I don't get paid for my work in the ER, remember, so I had to find a way to make a little money."

Exhausted from being sick and overexertion, Dave went silent and Carter exchanged a look with Lydia. Neither of them had any idea that Dave had been working so hard for his son's benefit.

* * *

Luka hoisted Joe to his shoulder as he walked into the ER looking for Dave.

The clock above the lounge door read 14:30, but Luka ignored it.

Although Dave was sick, Luka was sure that it wasn't contagious and besides, him driving Dave back to the apartment was better than allowing him to take to the EL and be exposed to cold.

As he walked to the desk, Luka suddenly saw Dave standing near one of the curtain areas with Carter. There was an IV in Dave's arm, his coat sleeve was rolled up, and he looked uncomfortable. Carter had a small medical bag over his arm. He also had a chart, and x-rays in his hands. He was giving Dave a concerned look.

"Dave?" Luka asked, as he walked over to where Dave and Carter were standing.

Relieved to see Luka, Carter sighed and offered the bag to Luka, "According to x-rays and listening to his chest, Dave's got a bad case of pneumonia," he explained, noticing the sudden bewilderment on Luka's face. "He'll need to be on IV antibiotics for at least a few days and will also need rest...Kerry says Dave's not allowed back to work until he's feeling better."

"I've got a fever of 102," Dave stated, his voice tired. "My chest is bugging the heck out of me."

Luka nodded, "Grab your coat, I'll take you to the apartment," he offered, knowing full well that Dave was suffering from health issues caused by overwork, stress, and lack of sleep. "After you're resting, I'll get Daniel from school for you so you aren't worrying about him."

At the mention of a coat, Dave gulped and looked at the floor, "The only coat I have is my doctor's coat," he admitted, deeply embarrassed. "I don't exactly have a proper outdoor coat..."

Dave suddenly felt a coat being put over his shoulders and looked up, "Luka-" he started, not wanting Luka to freeze in the cold weather.

"You're sick, you need a coat if you're going to go outside," Luka insisted. "I'll be all right."

Blinking tiredly, Dave nodded, "Thanks," he said, yawning. "I feel absolutely terrible."

"Come on, you need rest," Luka insisted, placing a hand on Dave's upper arm.

Dave nodded and allowed Luka to lead him towards the door and out into the cold.

Carter watched them go for a minute and then turned and walked towards the elevators, as he wanted to see if Dr. Benton and Amy were out of surgery and how they were doing.


	9. The Fragile Process of Recovery

Ignoring the pressure radiating from her bandaged and stitched incisions, Amy crept into the ER dressed in her grubby shoes, loose pants, a button up shirt, and a spare surgical coat that was "borrowed" from the locker room that she had bribed the Recovery nurses into providing her. She just wanted to go back to her house and be with her family.

Although her children were in school, she could use the time to rest and catch up on light reading.

The surgery had been simple enough with no complications and she had even seen a groggy Dr. Benton in Recovery when she had woken up with her spleen gone. Because she had woken from the anesthesia before he had, Amy had quickly found herself in a private room and medicated.

All of her kids had been by to visit and had not commented on her bruised face or the fact that she had been sexually assaulted, as her father had told them not to mention stressful subjects. They had talked to her about school, what they wanted for Christmas, and other pleasant subjects.

Since Dave was unable to leave Luka's apartment because of his pneumonia, Amy had spent a lot of time talking with him on the phone while he was alone at the apartment. She had confided in him her feelings about the last two weeks and she had told him what she could remember.

Carter had visited once and they had amicably ended their relationship, yet agreed to remain good friends. He had told her about Abby and Amy had gently encouraged him to follow his heart, but to use caution and patience, as Abby probably needed time to adapt to changing circumstances.

Fortunately, between the phone conversations with Dave and visits from her family, the hours passed by quickly. However, after two days, Amy wanted nothing more than to be released.

Despite it being only seven-thirty, Amy was more than ready to get out of there.

"Excuse me, is your name Jerry?" Amy asked, as she slowly approached the admit desk where Jerry was sitting, working through stacks of paperwork.

Setting his paperwork aside, Jerry looked at Amy, "Aren't you Doctor Romano's daughter, the one who just had surgery two days ago?" he asked.

"I would like you to call me a cab, please," Amy replied, ignoring the question. "I'm feeling a lot better and all I want to do is go home and be with my family."

Jerry gulped and hesitated, as he was unsure of how to handle this. However, before he had a chance to react, Dr. Romano came out of the lounge and spotted Amy standing at the desk.

"What are you doing out of bed and walking around, young lady?" Dr. Romano asked in a stern tone as he walked over to the desk. "Do the nurses on the Recovery floor know you are here?"

Amy shook her head, "No, Dad, I'm going home so I can be with my kids," she replied in a determined tone. "I have spent enough time in hospital in the past to hate being a patient."

Before Dr. Romano, who knew what Amy had been through and why she hated being in hospitals so much, could reply, Luka walked into the ER with Joe on his shoulder and immediately froze.

"Doctor Kovac, do you mind telling me where Doctor Malucci is this morning?" Dr. Romano asked, as he had thought Dave just had a simple case of exhaustion.

Luka sighed, "Dave is in my apartment, recovering from pneumonia," he replied, as Joe gurgled and looked at Amy with interest. "Doctor Faith, aren't you supposed to be upstairs in Recovery?"

"Thank you for your concern, Doctor Kovac, but I am going home," Amy replied in an anxious tone. "I don't like being in the hospital for long periods of time, so I am leaving."

There was silence for a moment as Dr. Romano thought and looked at both Amy and Luka.

"Doctor Kovac, are you on this morning?" Dr. Romano asked, looking Luka directly in the eye.

Luka nodded, "I'm on at eight," he replied. "I was just going to run Joe upstairs to daycare before I started my shift. I took Daniel to his school early, there was a school breakfast this morning."

"Well, I'll cover for you this morning and I'm off at noon," Dr. Romano stated. "For now, I want you to take Amy to my house, which is where she and her kids live, and keep her company."

Amy glared at her father, but Dr. Romano ignored it and silently awaited Luka's reply, "I need to get Joe upstairs to daycare," Luka began and was shocked when Dr. Romano took Joe from him.

"Dad, I'm an adult and I don't beed a baby-sitter," Amy protested. "I am feeling just fine."

Dr. Romano scoffed as he moved Joe up to his shoulder, "Spare me the bravery stuff, okay?" he stated, stern amusement in his voice. "I swear, Amy, you are worse at that than Doctor Malucci."

Amy didn't reply, so Dr. Romano continued, "I'll give you a choice, Amy, you can either willingly go with Doctor Kovac, or you can be taken back upstairs to your room," he stated, his tone stern. "I hear they're serving some disgusting looking stuff upstairs for lunch today...Maybe, if you don't want to go with Doctor Kovac, you and Doctor Benton can keep each other company...Unlike you, Doctor Benton is being a good boy and resting, partially thanks to Doctor Carter's constant visits."

"Doctor Kovac, if I go with you, do you promise that I will be safe?" Amy asked, as she was hesitant to trust the man for fear he would hurt her if she was alone with him.

Luka frowned, as he suddenly remembered that Amy had recently been through a horrible ordeal and was probably mistrustful of most adult men except for her father and Dave, "I promise you'll be safe with me, Doctor Faith," he vowed, as he offered her his arm to lean on for support.

For a moment, Amy was silent and instead looked into Luka's eyes. She could see nothing but concern and trust, something she hadn't seen in a man in a long time.

"All right," Amy quietly replied, taking Luka's offered arm. "Lead on, Doctor Kovac."

Dr. Romano and Joe were silent as Luka helped Amy walk out of the ER, although Dr. Romano could feel that it would take a miracle for Amy to trust someone like Dr. Kovac.

"Okay, little Joe, let's get you up to day care," Dr. Romano quietly cooed as he carried Joe off towards the elevators.

* * *

"Hey, Doctor Benton, are you awake?" Carter asked, as he knocked on the door to Dr. Benton's hospital room, as the door was closed.

There was a moment of silence, "Hey, Carter, come in," the tired voice of Dr. Benton replied.

Carter pushed the door open and, upon entering the room, he was surprised to see Reese sitting in a chair beside the bed near the wall. There was a breakfast tray on the portable table.

"How are you feeling, Doctor Benton?" Carter asked, as he walked through the room and sat down in the empty chair next to Reese.

Peter sighed and immediately placed a hand over his bandaged incisions, "I'm feeling a lot better, but the incisions are still sore," he admitted, gazing over at Reese, who was suddenly signing to him. "Jackie went to the cafeteria for a little while, she'll be back later...Reese wanted to visit me, though...Reese is asking where Cleo is...Carter, it's the third time this morning he's asked..."

"Why don't you tell him, then?" Carter suggested. "You have to tell him eventually."

For a moment, Peter was silent and then he nodded, looked directly into Reese's eyes and signed that Cleo had been injured in the shooting, brought into the ER, but she wasn't able to be saved.

As he realized that Cleo was gone and not coming back, Reese began to cry uncontrollably.

"Oh, Reese, come on," Peter said, as he tried to reach for Reese but couldn't because it caused him pain to move more than he currently could. "Reese, it's okay...Shhh,"

Seeing that Dr. Benton was unable to move enough to hug Reese, Carter put his arms around the sobbing boy and pulled him into his chest. As Reese cried, Carter looked at Dr. Benton, who mouthed a 'thank you' to Carter, as he lay there, trying to come to terms with the loss himself.

* * *

"Doctor Kovac, maybe I'd better wait out in the hallway," Amy said, as they came to a stop outside Luka's apartment door. "Dave doesn't need any additional stress right now and if he sees me like this, he'll be stressed. I want him to get better as soon as he possibly can."

Even though Dr. Romano had ordered him to take Amy straight to his house for rest, Luka had made a stop at his apartment to make sure Dave had his daily dose of IV antibiotics, as Dave had been sound asleep earlier and Luka hadn't wanted to wake him unnecessarily.

Luka gave Amy a look, "I promised that I would keep you safe," he argued, his voice skeptical.

"I'll be all right, Doctor Kovac," Amy replied. "Just give me your cell phone and if I start getting sore or if I need anything, I'll call you. Dave gave me your number a while back."

Before Luka could protest, Amy reached into his coat pocket and extracted his phone, "Go and give Dave his IV antibiotics," she ordered, offering Luka a small smile. "I'll be all right."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Luka fumbled around in his pockets for his apartment key.

* * *

As the apartment door opened, Dave, who was dressed in dark blue scrubs that covered a skimpy long-sleeved undershirt, looked up from the medical journal he had been reading just in time to see Luka closing the door. "Oh, hey Luka," he said in a fake cheerful tone.

"How are you feeling?" Luka asked as he moved past the couch and into the bedroom to grab an IV bag that contained a daily dose of antibiotics that Dave needed.

Instead of replying, Dave placed the medical journal on the table and winced at the sudden congestion he could feel in his chest. Fighting the urge to cough, he grabbed a thermometer off the coffee table and put it under his tongue. He suddenly felt very warm and sleepy and knowing the thermometer would take a minute or two, he allowed his eyes to close.

Unfortunately, Luka chose that moment to come out of his bedroom with the IV bag and saw Dave asleep on the couch with a thermometer under his tongue. Before he could intervene, however, Dave began to cough and the thermometer slid into his mouth and he began to choke.

Luka dropped the IV bag on the floor and quickly forcing Dave into a sitting forward position, he performed the Heimlich maneuver. After a few thrusts, the thermometer popped out of Dave's mouth and on to the couch. Coughing anxiously, Dave massaged his throat.

"Are you all right, Dave?" Luka asked, as Dave took a deep breath and laid back down.

Dave nodded, "I'm all right," he replied. "I just wanted to check my temperature and I was resting my eyes until I got a reading. I coughed and the thing just slid back into my throat."

Frowning, Luka picked the IV bag up and moved into the kitchen, as he kept an ear thermometer in a drawer that he used when Joe was sick, "Why are you checking your temperature again anyway?" he asked, as he moved back into the living room. "I checked it before I took Daniel to school this morning and it was 102...It shouldn't have changed."

"I was bored after you left, I got up and did some dishes," Dave admitted sheepishly, as Luka knelt beside the couch and placed the thermometer in his ear. "Your carpets looked a little messy, so I also did a little vacuuming. After that I decided to read a medical journal."

There was a beep and Luka pulled the thermometer out of Dave's ear, "Your temperature's up to 102.5," he replied as he placed the thermometer on the table and stood up. "I appreciate the fact that you want to help keep my place clean, but you should be resting...Christmas is not that far off and I figured you would want to be well by then so you could celebrate it with Daniel."

Dave was silent for a moment and watched as Luka took hold of his arm and hooked up the IV bag, "No offense, Luka, but I hate Christmas," he admitted. "It's a hard time of the year for me and I only get excited about it for Daniel's sake."

Suddenly, Dave broke off in a coughing fit, but before Luka could deal with it, his phone rang.

Remembering that Amy was waiting for him in the hall, Luka ran over to the cordless phone and picked up the reciever, "Doctor Faith?" he said into the phone. "What?...All right, hold on."

Even though he wanted to sleep, Dave felt the phone being placed into his hand, "Why are you dragging Amy all over Chicago when she's supposed to be in the hospital until tomorrow?" he asked in a tired voice.

"I got to work to find her and Doctor Romano at the admit desk in an argument," Luka replied as he moved back into his bedroom to grab Dave a blanket. "The only way that Doctor Romano would let her leave is if I drove her home and kept her company until he got there."

Despite feeling terrible, Dave managed a weak chuckle as he put the phone up to his ear, "Hey, Amy, how are you feeling?" he asked in a tired voice. "...Well, I did a little housework to thank Luka for letting me and Daniel stay here and it bumped my temp up a bit...Yes, he just put the IV in my arm and it's on a slow drip...No, I'm not going to pull it out before it's done..."

Luka emerged from his bedroom with a blanket from his bed and couldn't help but listen in as the conversation continued, "...I hate to ask, Amy, as I know you can't lift anything right now," Dave spoke into the phone, "Anyway, since neither of us can run the clinic for a while, I think it's better off closed...I was wondering if you and Luka could get the photos and some of my personal stuff."

There was a momentary silence and Dave coughed, "...You're right, Amy, I'm actually getting very tired and I probably do need to sleep," he replied in a faint voice. "...I hope you heal quickly..."

Yawning, Dave clicked the phone off and set it on the table, "She told me to sleep and ended the call before I could argue," he admitted. "You should probably go and take care of her."

"You mentioned something about a clinic?" Luka asked, draping a blanket over Dave and placing the IV bag on top of the blanket. "I didn't know that you and Doctor Faith had a clinic.."

Fighting to keep his eyes open, Dave nodded, "Before I was installed at County to pay off that medical bill, we ran a free clinic for anyone who wanted help," he faintly replied. "Now, with everything that's gone on, there's just no time to keep it open...I hate to drive you insane, but I kinda asked her if she could get some stuff from the clinic...Amy can't lift anything, but she knows what to get...Could you take her there and help her out?"

Luka nodded, "I don't mind," he replied, seeing that Dave was ready to drop off to sleep. "Are you going to behave yourself and rest?"

"I won't get up unless I need to get water or use the bathroom," Dave mumbled, quickly drifting off to sleep. "Just make sure you don't let Amy lift anything...she needs time to recover."

Although he couldn't help but wonder if Dave was going to actually behave, Luka nodded and, turning away from the couch, he moved over to the door and opened it. Not wanting to wake Dave, he walked into the hallway and quietly closed the door. He looked over and saw Amy leaning against the wall with a tired expression on her face.

"How's Dave doing?" Amy asked, as she took his arm and they walked down the hallway towards the elevator. "I know he asked you to go by the clinic, but you don't have to if you don't want to..."

Luka shrugged as he pressed the down button and the elevator doors slid open, "As long as you don't lift anything, I don't mind helping you or Dave out," he replied, as he helped her into the elevator.

Amy was silent and studied the floor as the elevator descended down to the lobby. She was saddened that Dave had decided to close the clinic, yet she knew it was the best for now. Luka was also silent, watching her with concern all over his face.

* * *

Amy stood at the doors to the clinic for a moment, silently gazing at the new glass pane that had been put in the door to replace the one that had been broken back when she was taken. Her father must have paid someone to replace it while she was missing.

The keys were in her jacket pocket, it would be easy to get inside, but did she really want to?

Last time she had been in the clinic, all had been peaceful and then disaster had struck for both her and Ray. While she had been taken, Ray had been wounded for trying to help her.

Since then, through what she had heard from Dave, Ray had since been released and because of the attack, the young med-student was being allowed to do bookwork until the new year. In the new year, he would be assigned to a different hospital and another student would come to County.

In reality, it terrified her to even open the door, as it opened the door to what could happen.

While Amy silently lingered there, lost in thought, she was unaware that Luka had parked his vehicle down the street and was walking back over to her.

"Is something wrong with the key?" Luka asked, as he saw that the door was still untouched.

Remaining silent, Amy sighed and, reaching into the pocket, she pulled out a set of keys that had little tags on them. She selected the key labeled "clinic" and unlocked the door with it.

"It won't take long to find what Dave wants, it's all in the common exam room past the desk," Amy stated in a vague tone as she turned away from the door. "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute."

Luka, however, didn't move, as he had picked up on the vague tone in Amy's voice, "I have never been here before, so I am not sure where things are exactly," he stated, as he wanted to see how she would react to his asking for help in finding his way around.

"When you go through the door, there's a desk," Amy replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "Go past the desk and the common exam room is just on the other side of the short hallway."

Letting out a sigh, Luka gave Amy a concerned look, "Have you talked to anyone about the two weeks you were missing?" he asked, looking down at her. "It might help you recover better."

"During the past couple of days, I spent some time talking on the phone with Dave," Amy replied quietly as she opened the door to the clinic. "He thinks I need to talk to a professional counselor or maybe with another detective, but I can't remember very much...It was very hard on me."

Falling silent, Amy opened the door and walked into the clinic without waiting to see if she was being followed. Luka followed after her, his heart and mind full of unusually intense concern.

"It's good that none of the supplies were stolen while I was away," Amy stated as she walked into the common exam room and found everything intact. "When we first opened, addicts used to break in here and steal drugs to feed their habits...This way, Doctor Kovac."

Luka, who had silently followed Amy inside, suddenly noticed her move over to a patient board that was at the far end of the room. There was a small board next to it that was covered with photos and papers that were different colors and sizes. He watched as she removed the photos and papers from the board and placed them on a portable table.

"There's a supply closet in the far left corner," Amy stated, as she began to carefully stack the things she pulled from the board. "There are two boxes in there that have Dave's name on them, they're full of some personal things that he wants...He doesn't want me lifting them."

Nodding, Luka moved over to the designated closet and opened it, only to find racks of supplies and IV poles against either side wall. There were two boxes in the back of the closet.

In silence, he moved to the back of the closet and looked down at the top box, which was labelled Dr. Malucci's Private Stuff: Box # 1. Luka grabbed hold of both boxes and carefully lifting them to his chest, he carried them out of the closet. Amy was standing there, holding a stuffed envelope.

"Thank you so much for getting those boxes, Doctor Kovac," Amy stated in a relieved tone. "I have all of the photos and important documents, so I think we can go..unless you'd like a tour?"

Luka shook his head, "You've been on your feet a lot this morning," he said, as they walked back towards the door. "I should probably take you to Doctor Romano's house so you can rest."

Grateful for Doctor Kovac's decision, as she didn't want to admit that she was beginning to hurt from standing for so long, Amy nodded and they left the clinic together. Luka waited as she closed and locked the doors. He then allowed her to lean on him as they walked back to his vehicle.

* * *

Annoyed that her incisions were starting to hurt her, Amy pushed open the front door, quickly strode into the living room, and sank down on to the couch with a hand on the bandaged incisions, as well as an unsecure grip on the stuffed envelope.

"Doctor Faith?" Luka, who had left the boxes in the vehicle and locked it, asked, as he entered the house, removed his coat, and placed it on the coat rack, revealing a pair of green scrubs.

There was a small noise and Luka saw an envelope hit the floor. He also saw Dr. Faith suddenly swear and gasp in pain as she tried to reach for it.

"Stay there, I'll get it," Luka offered as he strode over and picked the envelope up off the floor.

Amy sighed and leaned back on the couch, relieved that some of the pressure from her healing incisions was fading now that she was off her feet. Luka placed the envelope on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Doctor Kovac," Amy replied, suddenly noticing Luka's scrubs. "By the way, those are some nice scrubs."

Luka looked nervous about the unexpected compliment, yet he nodded in thanks, "Please, Doctor Faith, call me Luka," he replied, feeling awkward about hovering over the pretty doctor.

"Well, _Luka_, why don't you sit down?" Amy, who found herself suddenly both comfortable and amused by the nervousness that Dr. Kovac was very bad at hiding, suggested. "You've been on your feet longer than I have. I assume that you are tired of standing?"

Suddenly nervous, Luka moved off towards the kitchen, "Would you like something to eat or drink?" he asked. "I'm sure Doctor Romano won't mind me using his kitchen."

"I wouldn't mind some herbal tea, but I'm not really hungry," Amy replied. "If I made you uncomfortable, Luka, I am sorry. You are just very bad at hiding when you're nervous."

Relieved that his back was to Dr. Faith, Luka managed a grin and began rummaging through the cupboards for tea bags. It had been a long time since a woman had unnerved him in such a way that he felt comfortable and he suddenly found himself at a loss for what to do about it.

"Since we're suddenly on a first name basis, I suppose you can call me Amy," Amy said, as she rose from the couch and moved into the kitchen. "Would you like some help?"

Before Luka could reply, Amy had moved over to a cupboard near the toaster, opened it, and pulled out a box of lemon teabags, "Luka, could you check the cupboard above the microwave and see if there are any mugs up there? I usually have to stretch to get them..."

Nodding, Luka moved over to the designated cupboard and found two large mugs, "Will these do?" he asked, showing Amy the mugs.

"The rest are probably in the dishwasher," Amy stated in an annoyed tone, placing the teabags in the mugs as Luka set them on the counter. "I'm sure my father told Nathan to put away the dishes in the dishwasher yesterday, but he didn't do it...Okay, fill these with water and put them in the microwave for about a minute thirty."

Luka did as he was told and after the microwave began running, he turned to see Amy leaning against the counter with a hand over her bandages, "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm going back to sit on the couch," Amy replied as she straightened up and moved slowly from the kitchen. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge, I'll replace it later."

There was silence that was broken only when the microwave started beeping. Luka opened the microwave and took out the mugs. He carried them into the living room and found Amy back on the couch, staring off into space with a hand on her abdomen.

"Here's your tea," Luka said, as he handed Amy a mug and sat down on the couch next to her with his own mug. "Are the incisions still bothering you?"

Amy took a sip of tea, "The test was negative," she said, a strange relief in her voice.

Luka gave Amy a confused look, "Test?" he asked, quickly taking a sip of tea.

"During my two weeks in captivity, I was raped at least once," Amy quietly explained, as she took another sip of tea. "At the hospital, Dave did a rape exam and had a rapid pregnancy test ordered. I was so relieved that it was negative...I told Dave that I didn't want any more children by being raped and all he could do was give me a hug and say that everything would be okay...in time."

Frowning, as Amy had basically implied that her children were products of rape administered by the man who kidnapped her this time, Luka set his mug on the table, "How many times have you been attacked and become pregnant as a result?" he asked, gazing at her.

"When I was about 14 years old, I was walking home from school after studying in the library from the end of school til about five," Amy explained, gazing at Luka. "I wasn't far from home and I was suddenly pulled into an alley by this man...He knocked me over and was quick about it..."

Amy sighed, "Despite still being in school, I wanted to keep the baby, so my father promised to help me raise him," she continued. "For a couple of years, it was a delicate balance of going to school and raising Nathan...Elton then came into the picture and begged for forgiveness."

"Were you and Elton ever married?" Luka asked nervously. "Sorry, it was a nosy question."

Feeling strangely okay about talking about the past with Luka, Amy managed a smile, "It's all right, Luka, it's not a nosy question," she replied. "We were married for a couple years, but he was abusive and I divorced him when I turned 18...I got full custody of Nathan and decided to go into medical studies after I graduated high school...Unfortunately, when I was doing pre-med studies, Elton paid me a visit...About nine months later, Lucas came into my life unexpectedly."

Luka remained silent, so Amy took a deep sigh and continued, "Near the end of my pre-med studies, I was attacked and almost killed," she stated in a whisper. "Not long after my daughter, Erinn, was born, I took my MCAT's and I had a list of reasonable choices in terms of attending medical school. However, I decided it was safest to take my chances in Grenada."

"You went to medical school in Grenada?" Luka asked, suddenly remembering from rumors that Dave had attended medical school in Grenada. "Didn't Dave-?"

Amy nodded, "Yeah, Dave and I were classmates and study partners," she replied. "It wasn't easy doing medical school and raising three kids, but I was boarding with this LPN who worked at the local hospital and she helped me out sometimes. Dave was like an uncle to my kids and it helped, as my father couldn't fly down that often to visit...work kept him horribly busy."

"Was Katie born while you lived in Grenada?" Luka asked, before he could stop himself. "From what I've heard, you have four kids, right? You've only mentioned three so far."

Amy went quiet for a moment, then looked at Luka, "I did my internship and residency in Chicago," she stated. "In the beginning of my internship, Elton accosted me at the hospital and attacked me one final time...Dave delivered Katie nine months later, when he came to Chicago."

"You seem pretty calm talking about it," Luka replied. "You don't seem angry about it at all."

"It may have changed my life, yes, but being angry about it will only stop me from living the life that I have rightfully achieved," Amy stated, calmness in her voice as she looked directly into Luka's eyes. "Now, Luka, I have to ask you...Why are your eyes full of intense turmoil?"

Luka gave Amy a curious look, "My eyes, full of turmoil?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You came into the ER with a little boy this morning," Amy stated, her voice full of both compassion and concern. "From what I could see, the boy must be your son and you seem very protective of him...Are you concerned that something might happen to him?"

Luka's eyes widened, this woman was very perceptive and she was concerned for him.

"Uh, Amy, I don't want to cause you unnecessary stress by talking about the past," Luka replied, gazing at the floor. "Both Dave and Doctor Romano would kill me if you were stressed."

Amy shot a glance at Luka, "Don't be a hypocrite, Luka," she snapped, although her tone was light. "You're obviously bothered about something concerning your son, so open up already, before you end up in the back of an ambulance with a paramedic with no intention of doing anything because she reminds you too much of someone in the past..."

"Um, are you referring to me or to Dave?" Luka, who had gleaned through a past rumor mill that Dave was fired from County for supposedly "playing" in the back of an ambulance with a paramedic.

Shaking her head, Amy sighed, "Dave never actually did ANYTHING sexual with that paramedic, he was going to, but she reminded him too much of the past," she stated. "Anyway, Luka, if something about your son is bothering you, it's perfectly okay to talk about it."

"Not long after Joe was born, my ex-wife had a relapse into a drinking problem," Luka explained, gazing at Amy solemnly. "She was at home alone with him one evening while I was at work and she had put him in the bath...Abby did some more drinking and eventually blacked out on the floor, forgetting that Joe was still in the bathtub...I came home from work to find Joe unconscious in the tub and Abby passed out on the floor, stone drunk..."

Amy sighed and lowered her head, "Oh, Luka, I am so sorry," she replied, fighting the urge to cry over Luka's plight. "That's why you seemed so reluctant to leave him this morning, right?"

Luka nodded, "My ex-wife is back in town, sober and now looking for work," he explained. "I legally have sole custody, but I am so afraid that she'll want to have him back...She may have given birth to Joe, but she is not his mother...I don't trust her, Amy."

"Luka, I know it's difficult to always be aware as to what's going on and not being able to control anything," Amy said, her voice quivering. "Unless Abby actually comes to you and asks specifically to see Joe, I wouldn't worry about it...You need to work on letting go of your anger, as it will eat you alive and make it harder for you to be a good father to Joe. Eventually, you should also learn to forgive Abby, as it happened in the past and you still have Joe...but I understand that forgiveness and that will take time...Just don't let anger impede your ability to function."

Blinking tiredly, Amy yawned, "Oh, excuse me, I'm getting a bit tired," she said, knowing that her words had struck a nerve within Luka. "It's been a long day and it's only just about eleven."

The front door suddenly opened and a teenage boy, who was dressed in sneakers, jeans, a sweater shirt, and a winter jacket, entered the house, "Grandpa Rocket...Mom?" the boy asked, as he suddenly looked into the living room and frowned at seeing the dark haired man sitting on the couch.

Amy smiled, "Nathan, this is Doctor Luka Kovac, he works at County," she said, as she rose from the couch and walked over to Nathan. "Luka, this is my eldest son, Nathan, and I assume he's got a good explanation as to why he's not in school right now."

Nathan put his backpack on a chair and pulled a crumpled note from his pocket, "I kinda had a fight with a teacher in gym class this morning," he said, handing the note to Amy. He said nothing about having met Luka previously, as he didn't trust the man.

Skimming the note, Amy suddenly frowned, "You were suspended for punching a teacher?" she asked, her voice full of exasperation. "This is the third suspension this semester, Nathan."

"The teacher called me a gang-banger that had crappy aim," Nathan replied, his gaze directed at Luka. "I'm guessing my mom escaped the hospital and you had to bring her home?"

Instead of reprimanding Nathan, Amy put her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, "Nathan, I'm assuming that the school will have emailed you some homework by now, so you should go upstairs and check your computer," she said, gently releasing him. "Go on...your grandfather is going to be home in about an hour and I'll make sure you get some lunch."

Nathan nodded and silently left the room. A moment later, footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

"I'm so worried about Nathan, Luka," Amy said, as she moved back to the couch and sat down. "He's got a lot of anger and sadness inside of him...I've tried talking to him, Dave's tried talking to him, my father has tried talking to him...He needs help and I don't know how to help him."

Suddenly, a crash could be heard upstairs, accompanied by a loud yell, "Nathan?" Amy asked, as she slowly moved towards the stairs. "Luka, help me up the stairs.."

* * *

Luka quickly helped Amy up the stairs and down the hallway, "Nathan?" Amy asked, as she stopped in his bedroom doorway and saw Nathan laying across his bed. "Are you all right?"

"I was at the computer and then I started feeling weak and I sorta slipped out of the chair," Nathan replied, his voice slightly shaky. "I managed to pull myself on to my bed...I need my vitamins."

Amy nodded, "Can you move so your head's on the pillow, or do you need Doctor Kovac to help you?" she asked. "How many days have you gone without taking your vitamins, Nathan?"

Groaning, Nathan lifted himself and managed to move his body to where his head was on his pillow, "The last time I took them was the morning before you went missing," he admitted.

"Luka, get him to sit up," Amy ordered, as adrenaline suddenly kicked in and she ran to the bathroom and managed to grab a vitamin bottle from the cupboard before pain set back in.

Taking a deep breath, Amy ignored the pain and made her way back into Nathan's bedroom, only to see that Nathan was still laying there, refusing to look at Luka, "Nathan, you need to sit up so your mom can give you your vitamins," Luka said, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

Amy remained silent and moving over to a mini-fridge that was at the far end of Nathan's desk, far away from a small laptop that was also on the desk. She opened it and grabbed a bottle of juice.

"Is Doctor Kovac going to hurt me?" Nathan asked, his voice a faint whisper.

Frowning, Amy moved back to the bed, "No, Nathan, Luka is a doctor and he won't hurt you," she said.

"I only trust Doctor Dave or you, Doctor Kovac's probably like the docs at the psycho center," Nathan mumbled, grabbing hold of Amy's hand. "I don't want to be hurt again, Mom."

Luka was silent for a moment as Nathan suddenly began to cry and cling to Amy's hand, "Shh, Nathan, it's all right," Amy said, stroking his hand. "Just let Luka hold you up and I'll give you your pills and some orange juice, all right? Then maybe you could use a few hours of sleep...Just relax and Luka will be gentle in holding you up, okay Nathan?"

Nodding, Nathan relaxed as Luka gently lifted him into an upright position, "Is Doctor Dave gonna have to know about this?" he asked, as Amy got a couple of swallowable vitamins out of the container and placed it on the bedside table. "I didn't see him at the ER when I was there."

"Dave's got pneumonia and is off the schedule until he's better," Amy replied, opening the juice and placing the pills into Nathan's palm. "Put those in your mouth and I'll give you a drink of juice to swallow them...Wait, you went to the ER? Why didn't you stay there?"

Nathan put the pills in his mouth and allowed his mother to give him a sip of the juice so that he could swallow them, "I went there looking for Doctor Dave and some guy named Jerry told me to wait in chairs," he said, swallowing the pills. "When I was on the EL, I started feeling tired."

"All right, Nathan, just relax," Luka instructed, as he lay Nathan back down on the bed and removed his arms from around the shaky teen.

Amy stroked Nathan's hand as she loosened her grip, "I'll leave this juice on the table just in case you need some while you rest," she gently said, setting the open bottle on the table. "Sleep."

As Nathan fell asleep, Amy slowly moved out of the room and motioned for Luka to follow, "He's got iron deficiency anemia," she explained, as they walked back down the hallway to the stairwell. "Dave prescribed him special vitamins, but insists that Nathan takes them with orange juice so he won't have an upset stomach afterwards...Anyway, can you help me down the stairs?"

Luka nodded and helped Amy walk down the stairs, "How severe is the anemia?" he asked, as he watched Amy walk back over to the couch and sit down. "How long has Nathan had it for?"

"It's just a mild case that is treated with iron pills," Amy replied, as she lifted her legs on to the couch. "It's a genetic thing he inherited from Elton...That's part of the reason he's so angry, he doesn't want to be like the man or have anything to do with him...not that I blame Nathan..."

Luka walked over and gently removed the shoes from Amy's feet, revealing sweat covered socks, "You should probably rest, it's been a long day for you," he said. "Would you like a foot massage?"

"What?" Amy asked, confused by what Luka meant by that suggestion.

Smiling, Luka lifted her feet and sat on the couch, "It's perfectly safe and it will help you relax," he reassured her, placing her feet on his legs. "I won't hurt you...It's not like I am going to do acupuncture on your feet like I did on Dave's back not long ago."

"Dave had acupuncture on his back?" Amy asked, trying to relax as Luka began to gently massage her feet. "I didn't know he was having back problems again...when did it happen?"

There were suddenly footsteps and Nathan came down the stairs, "Mom, I'm not tired, so I'm getting something to eat before I do my homework," he said, as he walked into the dining room and turned the corner out of sight. "Enjoy your foot massage and get some rest."

"Where'd you learn about foot massage and acupuncture?" Amy, who was enjoying the gentle massage that Luka was administering to her feet, asked.

Luka grinned, "I took these summer classes a few years ago that were being hosted by this medical organization downtown," he explained, as he gently massaged her ankles. "The classes were hands-on and taught about proper massage and acupuncture procedures as sort of a holistic health push that the city was working on...It was very educational."

"That's incredible, I hosted those classes," Amy explained, enjoying the shocked look on Luka's face that resulted from her words. "Dave was supposed to bring Daniel with him and host the class with me, but Daniel came down with the flu that day and Dave kept him at home...It was such a big class, but with the help of my kids keeping everyone calm, I managed..."

Amy sighed, "Luka, can you go check on Nathan for me?" she asked, feeling relaxed enough by the foot massage to sleep. "He's being awfully quiet in the kitchen and that's unusual."

Luka nodded and rising from the couch,he walked through the massive dining room, intrigued by the pre-holiday decor present.

* * *

Luka into the kitchen, only to find Nathan sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop and a glass of milk. There was a frown on his face and he was squinting at the screen, deep in concentration.

"Your mother wanted me to come and check on you," Luka said, as he took a seat in one of the empty kitchen chairs. "She said you were being too quiet and that's unusual."

Nathan nodded, but kept his eyes on the screen as he began typing, "Yeah, it's been a stressful couple of weeks," he replied. "I'm just glad the teacher didn't press charges for me punching him...I just have a crapload of online schoolwork to do between now and January, since I'm on suspension until then...I'm thinking of asking my mom if I can switch to homeschooling next year anyway, as I hate being teased about the iron thing and being called a gang banger because of my aggressive tendencies..."

"What did you have for lunch?" Luka asked, concerned.

Ignoring the question, Nathan focused intently on the screen, "I have way too much schoolwork to do, Doctor Kovac," he stated tonelessly. "I'll have to do at least four hours a day so I don't fall behind...My grandfather's gonna be furious, he told me not to get into any more trouble."

Suddenly, the door opened and closed, "Is anyone home?" the voice of Dr. Romano sounded out.

Swearing under his breath, Nathan continued to squint at the screen and was silent as Dr. Romano came into the room, "Well, Nathan, let me guess, you have been suspended from school yet again," he stated in an annoyed tone. "By the way, why are you squinting at the screen to try and do your online schoolwork when you have a pair of bifocals upstairs in your room?"

Not wanting to argue with his grandfather in front of Dr. Kovac, Nathan sighed and, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on his face, "I took them to school with me, but I only need them for reading," he stated, looking at Dr. Kovac. "Oh, Grandpa Rocket?"

Wondering what else Nathan had to tell him, Dr. Romano waited silently, "I haven't been taking my iron pills for the past two weeks and I almost passed out about half an hour ago," he admitted. "Mom and Doctor Kovac got me to take today's dose and had me swallow them with some juice."

"Well, we'll save the lecture for later," Dr. Romano stated, as he moved off towards the fridge. "Your mother is now asleep on the couch, so I will be making us some lunch and then making sure that you get today's homework done without passing out at the computer...Lucas, Erinn, and Katie will be home by four, so it's just the three of us here this afternoon."

Luka sighed and rose from the chair, "I should probably get back to the ER," he said. "I hope you feel better, Nathan...Tell your mom when she wakes that if she ever needs to talk, I'm around and she can ask Dave how to get in contact with me."

Nathan nodded and turned his attention back to the screen, "Thanks for the help, Doctor Kovac," he said, as he returned to typing.

Turning away, Luka walked out of the kitchen. A few moments later, the door opened and closed.

Even though he wondered what on earth Dr. Kovac and Amy did while they were alone, Dr. Romano decided to focus on the afternoon ahead and ask questions much later.

For although he was sure that nothing sexual had occurred, Robert knew that something had happened, as for the first time in two weeks, he felt nothing but a mood of tranquility in the air. Did Dr. Kovac get through to Amy and manage to see a glimpse of her fragile soul?


	10. Nightmare On Christmas Eve

Before long, Christmas Eve day had come upon Chicago and with it, a heavy blanket of snow.

Since he was working Christmas Day, Carter found himself with nothing to do. Abby was off spending time with her mother, so he could either stay at home or spread holiday cheer.

As he didn't want to waste the day loafing in bed, Carter had gotten dressed, got some breakfast from the kitchen, and had taken a cab from his house to the suburbs.

Now, despite the falling snow, Carter found himself on the doorstep of Jackie and Walt Robbins, Peter's sister and brother-in-law. Since he had been released from the hospital, Dr. Benton had sold the house and he and Reese had moved in with his sister to give Reese more family support.

Hoping that Dr. Benton was awake and in a good mood, Carter knocked on the door.

There was some movement inside and the door opened, "Doctor Carter?" Jackie asked, smiling at the sight of them standing there. "To what do we owe a visit on this Christmas Eve day?"

"I came by to see how Doctor Benton's doing," Carter said. "I know it's been a few days since my last visit, but I've been working at the hospital. Anyway, how's he holding up?"

Jackie opened the door wider, "Peter's resting in the living room," she replied. "Come in."

Nodding, Carter entered the house and closed the door behind him, "It's been hard for Peter, Carter," she said in a quiet voice. "Maybe you can get him to open up to you about it."

Carter remained silent, "Peter, get off the couch and come to the door," Jackie shouted in a pleasant tone. "You have a visitor."

There was a grunt from the living room and Peter appeared in the living room doorway, "Carter, hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see Carter there.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk?" Carter asked, knowing that an offer of exercise would be appealing to Dr. Benton, as he was supposed to take short walks to help himself heal.

Peter gave Carter a confused look, "Reese is home and needs me here," he replied tonelessly.

"Oh, Peter, Reese is just fine and both Walt and I are here if he needs anything," Jackie said, knowing that Peter needed to get out of the house. "Go for a walk with Doctor Carter, you know that a short walk will help you get your strength back...I think you need time out of the house."

Carter grabbed a coat from the coat rack and offered it to Peter, "We'll just walk to the nearby park and back," he insisted. "The walk will do you some good."

Rolling his eyes, Peter reluctantly put his coat on and zipped it up, "All right," he said, as he grabbed some gloves from the rack. "Just don't make me walk too fast all right?"

Nodding, Carter opened the door and gestured for him to follow, "Let's go," he said.

Scoffing, Peter grabbed a hat from the rack, put it on, and followed Carter outside, ignoring the fact that Jackie was chuckling as she closed the door to keep the cold out.

* * *

"Where's Abby at these days?" Peter asked, as he sat down on the park bench that Carter had just brushed the snow off of. "It's Christmas Eve, why aren't you with your girlfriend?"

Carter grinned and brushed some snow off of a swing seat, "Abby is visiting with her mother both today and tomorrow," he explained, sitting down.

"How's Abby doing anyway?" Peter asked, as he was intrigued as to how Carter and Abby's rekindled relationship was going since Carter had told him of her return to Chicago.

Carter smiled, "Abby's sober and healing from what happened in the past," he replied, as he rocked back and forth on the swing. "It's good that she's with her mom today and tomorrow, as I have to work my punishment shift tomorrow per the orders of Administration."

"Why are you doing a punishment shift on Christmas Day?" Peter, who suddenly wondered what Carter had done to earn the wrath of the hospital administration.

Carter swallowed hard, "A couple of weeks ago, I kind of played a prank on Malucci at work that sent him into a bad panic attack," he admitted, giving Dr. Benton a sheepish glance.

"Carter, even if it was Malucci, that sort of thing is incredibly immature," Peter replied, a faint sternness in his tone. "You should know better than to do that, especially at work."

Relieved to hear some emotion in Dr. Benton's voice, Carter nodded, "I regret that I ever did anything to Malucci now," he admitted. "Maybe he has changed from years ago."

"Don't obsess over the past, Carter," Peter said, as he gave Carter a look.

There was a moment of silence and Carter watched as Peter gazed at the ground, "Hey, Peter, what are you doing tonight?" he asked. "I know you're probably having dinner with your family, but after Reese goes to bed, do you wanna go out and take another walk with me?"

"Where's your family at?" Peter asked, gazing up at Carter. "Won't they miss you tonight?"

Carter shrugged, "My mom is in the Caribbean, my dad is in Japan, and my sister is holidaying in Paris," he explained. "Other than that, I have no biological family to spend Christmas with."

"After Reese is in bed for the night, a walk sounds good," Peter stated, mentally kicking himself for forgetting that Carter had no family in the area. "Why don't you come and hang out at Jackie's with me today? You can stay over for dinner and we can go for our little walk afterwards."

"Are you ready to go back?" Carter asked, as he rose from the swing seat. "You look a little tired."

Peter nodded and stood, "I'm getting a little sleepy, it's probably the cold air," he replied.

Carter nodded and walked in-step with Dr. Benton as they left the empty park in silence.

* * *

Ignoring the fact that Jerry was hanging Christmas lights as holiday music played on a CD player that had been brought out of the lounge, Dave kept his head down and focused on his paperwork.

It had taken him almost three weeks to fully recover from the pneumonia, but now that he was better, he was working while Daniel stayed at Amy's for the day. Although Amy was recovered enough to return to work, she had chosen to wait until after the holidays to be a doctor again.

The day had been long and full of both sick and injured patients who required various degrees of medical attention. Dave had found himself constantly busy and relieved to be so busy.

Now that things were slower, he was able to spend time on long-ignored paperwork that would keep him busy until Daniel arrived. Once he was here, they could go out for a Christmas Eve dinner.

"How's your day been, Doctor Malucci?" Dr. Weaver, who had just finished with a patient and come to the desk to rack the chart, asked, as she noticed he was working on paperwork.

Dave sighed, but didn't look up from his paperwork, "Chief, I talked with Anspaugh and I'll work Christmas Day so you can spend it with Henry," he stated. "Other than that, it's been a long day and that Christmas music is starting to bug me...it's way too loud."

"Won't Daniel be wanting to spend Christmas Day with you?" Kerry asked, confused as to why Dave would offer to work Christmas Day when he could be spending time with his son.

Looking up from his paperwork, Dave managed a small smile, "It's all right, we'll spend tonight together and he can sleep in on Christmas morning," he replied. "I really don't mind working on Christmas Day and I want you to enjoy that special time with Henry, all right?"

For a moment, Kerry was silent and then she smiled, "Thank you, Doctor Malucci," she said, gentleness in her voice. "It'll be a relief to have a break after having to work tonight."

The phone suddenly rang and Jerry answered it, "Hello, County ER," he said into the phone.

There was silence for a moment and Jerry offered the phone to Dave, "Doctor Malucci, you have a phone call," he said. "The caller won't identify themselves, but they say it's important."

Dave sighed and accepted the phone, "This is Doctor Malucci," he said, giving Dr. Weaver an apologetic look as he turned away to take the phone call.

Thinking it was just Dave's son wanting to wish him a Merry Christmas, Jerry accidentally pressed the speakerphone with his elbow as he turned back to his paperwork.

"...It's Christmas Eve again, Dave.." a rugged voice hissed over the phone. "Unfortunately, I can't be there...you're all alone with your bittersweet memories...the night you almost died."

Kerry suddenly froze and turned, horrified to see that Dave was frozen in the spot, clenching the reciever to his ear with a blank look in his eyes and a look of horror on his face.

"...It was quite a few years ago, but I still remember it well," the voice hissed maliciously. "...You laid there, begging for mercy as I ran that knife down your back and watched the blood spill..."

Just then, Mark came to the desk and set a chart on the counter, "...While I spent the night getting high and wasted in a warm hotel, you spent the night laying on the cold road...screaming in agony about your dead wife and bleeding to death beside your crashed car," the voice hissed in amusement. "Dave, it's a shame that someone found you and they saved your waste of a life...It's a shame, really, but you lived so I could continue to torture you..."

It was then that Mark noticed Dave near the desk and moved towards him, but Kerry grabbed his arm, "Give it a minute," she whispered, frightened by the caller's hold on Malucci.

"...Anyway, _Doctor_ Malucci, I wish you yet another Merry Christmas with your pain and sorrow," the voice said in a joyful tone. "...You'll _never_ heal...you'll NEVER be able to move on..."

There was a sudden click, indicating that the caller had hung up. However, Dave remained frozen on the spot, clenching the receiver to his ear, looking ready to faint.

"Malucci?" Kerry asked, as she walked over and eased the receiver out of Dave's clenched hand.

Dave didn't respond, he stared off into space, as if not aware of anything around him.

"Malucci?" Mark asked, as he walked over and waved a hand in front of Dave's face. "Can you hear me?"

As the other ER staff slowly realized that Dave hadn't said a word, everything fell silent.

"Do you need a gurney?" Haleh whispered to Mark, as she kept her eyes on Dave.

Suddenly aware that he was being stared at by everyone in the ER, Dave blinked, put a hand on his forehead and quickly walked off, disappearing into the lounge.

"Did my dad get another one of those phone calls this year?" a familiar voice suddenly said.

Kerry looked over the counter and to her horror, Daniel was standing there along with Nathan Romano, "Daniel, how long have you and Nathan been standing there?" she asked, worried that Daniel might have heard the entire phone message.

"My dad's upset about the phone call from that bad man, isn't he?" Daniel asked, unaware that Luka was coming to the desk and heard him speak.

Kerry suddenly frowned, "Nathan, Daniel, can we talk in private about that phone call?" she asked, gesturing to the waiting room. "Mark, go check on Doctor Malucci, make sure he's okay."

"What happened?" Luka, who had not overheard the phone call and was suddenly concerned by how everyone was asking, asked.

Mark didn't reply. Kerry gave Luka a concerned glance and led both Daniel and Nathan over to the waiting room where they could talk in private, "Mark, what happened?" Luka again asked.

"Doctor Malucci received a threatening phone call," Mark replied, as he moved to a wall phone to contact Security about the incident. "It sent him into a bit of unresponsive shock for a few minutes."

Luka's eyes widened, "Is he okay?" he asked. "Where is he now?"

"After Kerry eased the phone out of his hand, Malucci went off to the lounge," Mark replied, as he dialed Security and got a busy signal. "The caller was taunting him...I'm trying to get a record of the phone call and contact Security about getting safe guards on the phone lines."

Before Luka could reply, the door to the lounge opened and Dave came out wearing a long winter coat over his scrubs, "Has anyone seen Daniel?" he asked, looking at Luka and Mark. "Nathan should have brought him by now and since it's five, I'm taking him and leaving for the night."

"Dad!" Daniel said, as he ran out of the waiting room towards Dave. "Are you okay?"

Not wanting Daniel to know that he had shed a few tears in the lounge, Dave nodded and put his arms around Daniel, "I'm all right," he replied in a soft, gentle tone. "Are you ready to go?"

"Did you want to talk about this at all, Doctor Malucci?" Mark asked, wondering if Dave was going to take Daniel and end up in a dangerous situation because of unresolved emotional turmoil.

Dave shook his head, "If you want, you can book me an appointment with Doctor DeRaad for January," he replied. "Tonight is Christmas Eve and I am going to spend it with my son."

As Kerry came into the lounge, Dave buttoned up Daniel's coat, "Nathan left right after I took them into the waiting room, but he said Daniel would be fine," she said as she watched Dave and Daniel interact. "Are you all right, Doctor Malucci?"

"I'm fine, Chief," Dave replied, as he gazed at Kerry. "Merry Christmas, see you in the morning."

Kerry nodded and watched Dave lead Daniel out of the ER. She looked at Jerry.

"Jerry, I want you contact the medical school in Grenada and see if they can send me any information concerning Doctor Malucci," Kerry ordered. "Luka, Mark, I want to talk to you in the lounge...Luka, I know you have to pick up Joe from day care, but this won't take very long."

Without saying another word, Kerry walked off to the lounge. Mark and Luka followed after her while Jerry, confused by Kerry's order, began looking through the computer for the appropriate number.

* * *

As stars glistened across the black sky, Carter suddenly came to a stop outside a cemetery gate.

"Carter, what's wrong?" Peter, who had been feeling better about his first Christmas Eve since Cleo died, asked, as he saw Carter reading the cemetery sign with a frown. "Is it your back?"

Carter shook his head, "I think Joshua is buried in here," he replied softly, gazing at Peter. "By the way, have you thought about having a service for Cleo after the holidays are over?"

"Maybe I'll bury her on New Year's Day," Peter replied, knowing deep down that Cleo couldn't lay in the morgue forever and he would have to bury her eventually. "Wait, you said Joshua is here?"

Carter nodded, "If you don't mind, I'd like to go in here and see if I can find his grave," he stated in a quiet voice. "I haven't been to his grave since the funeral...I feel bad about that."

"You know, Carter, this is the first time you've mentioned Joshua out loud since the funeral," Peter commented, as they walked into the cemetery. "It's been a long time..."

As he began looking at the various headstones, Carter managed a smile, "Since Abby and I got back into a relationship, I've found that thinking about the past in a more positive light helps me to feel better about it," he stated. "Anyway, I know that Joshua is watching over me every day."

They passed by a beautiful headstone that was being visited by a man who was carrying a bouquet of flowers and a small boy who had a single rose in his hand. Not wanting to disturb the mourners, Carter and Peter remained silent as they passed and headed off to a far section of the cemetery.

"This cemetery is so big," Carter ranted as he looked at another row of tombstones. "It's exasperating that my son is among the many who have passed into death..."

Frustrated, Carter looked down at the ground, "Maybe coming here tonight wasn't the best idea," he admitted, looking back up at Peter. "Can we go somewhere else that's a little warmer?"

Peter nodded and walked in-step with Carter back towards the gate, "Oh, excuse me," Carter said, as he accidentally collided with a small boy who was lingering near a grave.

"Carter?" a voice said, as Carter and Peter continued towards the gate.

Suddenly recognizing the voice to be that of Malucci, Carter and Peter turned just in time to see Dave lay the bouquet on the grave and get to his feet, "Dave?" Carter asked, very curious.

Dave turned away and leaned against the tombstone, as if lost in thought, "My dad is thinking about the accident that killed my mom," Daniel replied, as he walked over to Carter and Peter.

Both Peter and Carter were silent, so Daniel continued, "My dad told me that when I was a month old, he and my mom were in a car crash that my mom died in," he explained in a soft voice. "I know Christmas makes him sad, but he pretends to be happy about it because of me."

"Your dad's basically raised you by himself, then?" Peter asked, as he was genuinely intrigued by the fact that Malucci managed to raise a kid all by himself. "How did he manage that?"

Before Daniel could reply, Dave suddenly snapped out of his reflective state and turned around, geniunely surprised to see that Dr. Benton and Carter were still there, "Hey," he said tonelessly.

"I didn't know your wife was buried here, Dave," Carter said, curiosity in his voice.

Dave nodded, "Yeah, I buried her here back when I brought Daniel to Chicago," he replied, his tone full of a gentle reminiscence. "Anyway, I hate to break up this little party, but it's getting late and I need to get Daniel back to Luka's apartment so that he can open presents and go to bed."

"I'd really like to know more about your wife, Dave," Carter, who was very intrigued about what kind of person Dave's wife and Daniel's mother was. "You and Daniel must have loved her very much."

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Dave shrugged, "That's a story for another night," he replied, although his tone was gentle. "C'mon kiddo, let's go back to Luka's where it's warm."

With a grunt, Dave lifted Daniel and gently carried him down the path and out of the cemetery.

His spirits suddenly lifted because of seeing Dave and Daniel's reverence over a lost loved one, Carter managed a smile as he looked at Peter, "Why don't we try looking for Joshua's grave some more?" he suggested. "I'm feeling a lot better about being here now...Maybe after that, we could go to a church service so I can light a candle for my son..."

Peter nodded and he and Carter headed back to look among the rows for Joshua's grave.

* * *

Allowing the water to drench his hair for a moment longer, Luka turned off the shower, stepped out, and quickly put his green scrubs back on. He used a towel to dry his hair and hung it on the rack.

After attending a brief meeting about the threatening phone call, Luka had gone upstairs and gotten Joe from day care. He had then taken his son home and gotten the two of them a nice dinner.

Following dinner, Luka had gotten Joe to bed and had decided to have a quick shower to relax.

Luka opened the bathroom door and immediately heard Dave's voice coming from the bedroom that Daniel and Joe shared, although he couldn't hear what Dave was saying. It was then that he saw wrapping paper on the floor, along with a new backpack, new shoes, and a brand new soccer ball.

Despite the mess, Luka smiled, relieved that Dave had managed to give Daniel a good Christmas.

There was a few moments of silence and then there was a small creak, followed by footsteps.

A moment later, Dave, who was dressed in a dark dress shirt, tie, dress pants, and good shoes, walked out of the bedroom. Luka couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Dave's attire.

"It's an old suit and I've lost some weight since last year," Dave replied to Luka's raised eyebrow. "I only wear this thing on Christmas Eve...I sold the other one a few years back...Anyway, you don't mind babysitting Daniel for me, right?"

Thinking that Dave was going to mourn the anniversary of his wife's death by going out and getting drunk, Luka frowned, "Where exactly are you going?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"I promise I'm not running off to some bar to get bombed out of my mind," Dave replied, as if reading Luka's mind. "I just want to spend Christmas Eve remembering Dana in my own way..."

Fighting off a yawn, Dave sank down on the couch, "I took Daniel by the cemetery to see Dana's grave and then we went out for dinner to Subway," he stated. "Since I'm working tomorrow at six, I figured that we should spend time together tonight, before he went to bed and I went out."

"You should get some rest before your shift tomorrow," Luka stated, frowning as Dave stood and stretched. "Are you going to get any sleep before you work all day tomorrow?"

Dave managed a small smile, "I'll be fine, but I do really have to get going," he replied, taking a dark jacket from the couch and putting it on. "Daniel knows where I'm going and that I'll be all right."

"Kerry mentioned that you got a threatening phone call at work today," Luka commented, watching as Dave did up the buttons on his suit jacket. "Is everything all right?"

Plastering a fake grin on his face, Dave shrugged, "It was just a prank," he replied, quickly putting his winter jacket on. "By the way, thanks for the coat and gloves...They're an awesome Christmas present."

In silence, Dave patted his jacket pocket to ensure that his wallet was secure in the pocket and, grabbing a pair of gloves, which Luka had also given him for Christmas, he put them on.

"Merry Christmas Luka," Dave said, as he opened the door and quickly left the apartment.

As the door closed, Luka locked it and let out a sigh of frustration at what had just happened.

However, although he had gotten Amy's number from Dave, Luka hadn't decided to use it, until now.

Concerned that Dave was going to do something stupid just because Christmas Eve happened to be the anniversary of his wife's death, Luka reached for the phone and dialled Amy's number.

Although she was probably with her own family that night, Amy would know what Dave was going to be doing and whether or not there was a chance he could end up in trouble that evening.


	11. Christmas Day of Memories and Friends

As the clock switched to midnight, Carter and Peter entered the chapel and both men smiled at the sound of choir voices singing Christmas hymns. The service had not yet started.

"It's so peaceful here," Carter commented, as they walked up the aisles looking for a place to sit.

Peter didn't say anything, as he was afraid that he would begin to cry if he did. Instead, he followed Carter to a pew that was closer to the front of the chapel and sat next to his friend.

They sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the choir, wondering what could be said peacefully.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of the door opening and quick footsteps.

Carter looked away from the choir just in time to see Amy, who was dressed in a dark dress suit with her hair done up out of her face, run past him towards a man and woman who were sitting on a pew that was at the front, but off to the side. Upon seeing her, the man and woman rose and they began hugging and quietly whispering, as if very relieved and excited to see each other.

"Hey, Peter, isn't that Amy and Dave with Jeanie Boulet?" Carter asked, suddenly recognizing the other woman that was with Dave and Amy.

Peter looked away from the choir just in time to see Dave sit down with one arm around Jeanie while the other arm was around Amy. The three of them looked peaceful, but solemn.

"What's Malucci doing here with Doctor Faith and Jeanie?" Peter whispered, suddenly concerned that Dave was unknowingly exposing himself and Dr. Faith to HIV.

Carter was quiet for a moment, "Maybe it's the only way he knows how to grieve for his lost wife," he replied. "Christmas Eve was when his wife passed away."

"How did you know that?" Peter asked, gazing at Carter in shock.

"When we were at the cemetery, Daniel mentioned that Dave hated Christmas," Carter quietly replied, watching Dave as he put his head on Amy's shoulder. "Since Dave was at the cemetery with his son and with some very expensive looking flowers, my guess is that they were marking the anniversary of her death...Dave was deep in thought about it, that's why he didn't say anything until he heard us talking to Daniel...Our presence made him uncomfortable, I think."

Peter watched Dave for a moment, "Is Malucci sleeping?" he asked, as Dave's eyes seemed to be closed. "Wait, those are tears coming from his eyes..."

Realizing that Dave was crying, Carter watched for a moment and then turned his attention away, only to find that the choir had stopped and there was a person at the pulpit, ready to speak.

Knowing that questions would have to wait until later, Carter focused on enjoying the service.

* * *

Even though it was nearly 1:30, Carter suddenly found himself full of energy as he wandered through the church. Around one, Dave, Amy, and Jeanie had suddenly left the chapel.

"Carter, come on man, we shouldn't be back here," Peter said, as he followed Carter through the quiet halls of the church. "I'm sure Malucci, Jeanie, and Doctor Faith just went home."

Carter shook his head and kept walking, "They went off in this direction," he replied.

A sudden retching sound caught Peter's attention, "Hold up, Carter," he said as he tried to figure out where the retching sound was coming from. "This way, follow me this way."

Without waiting to see whether or not Carter was following, Peter walked quickly and stopped in the doorway to a bathroom, just in time to hear some more retching coming from inside.

"...Jeanie, there's a bottle of gingerale in my purse," Peter heard Amy say in a gentle tone. "Dave, just relax and close your eyes for a moment...it's okay."

There was a cough and Peter then heard another voice, "...I thought it would be all right this year, Amy...Every time I hear that song, I don't know...my stomach just churns..."

Peter sighed and pushed open the door, "Malucci, are you all right?" he asked, as he entered the bathroom and saw Dave sitting on the floor beside one of the urinals with Amy kneeling beside him, holding his hand while Jeanie stood nearby, rummaging through a purse.

"It's not in here, but there is a small bottle of water," Jeanie replied, as she pulled a small bottle of spring water out of the purse and handed it to Dave. "Take a few slow sips."

Nodding, Dave took the bottle of water, opened it, and took a slow sip, "I'm all right, really," he insisted, suddenly noticing Dr. Benton standing there. "You called Doctor Benton?"

Amy sighed and shook her head, "No, I did not," she replied, frowning as she suddenly noticed Carter lingering in the doorway. "Doctor Benton, why are you and John here?"

Before Peter could reply, Dave suddenly stood up, "Amy, let's go light the candles and get out of here, okay?" he stated. "Maybe I can get a nap somewhere before I have to go to work."

Ignoring the look that Dr. Benton was giving her, Amy led Dave out of the bathroom, past Carter, who was giving Dave a concerned look. Jeanie gave Peter and Carter a look and quickly followed.

* * *

"...On this anniversary of Dana's death, I light this candle to remember her," Dave whispered, as he didn't want to disturb the singing choir. "I will always love and remember her..."

Swallowing hard, Dave used a lighter that he had borrowed from Amy's purse to light a small candle. He stared at the flame for a moment and then carefully set it on the worship altar.

Feeling a strong urge to light a candle for Joshua, Carter left Peter to sit alone in the pew they had chosen earlier and approached the altar, surprised to see Dave, Amy, and Jeanie there.

"Are you going to light a candle for Carlos this year, Jeanie?" Amy asked, as she put an arm around Dave to reassure him that he wasn't alone in his grief.

Jeanie nodded and taking the lighter, she silently lit a candle and placed it on the altar.

"I was wondering, Amy, if I could borrow that lighter to light a candle for Joshua?" Carter asked, fighting the urge to cry.

Dave looked at Carter, "Who's Joshua?" he asked curiously.

"Back when Kem and I were together, she gave birth to a stillborn son that we named Joshua," Carter explained, choking back a sob. "It was the beginning of the end of our relationship..."

Tears in her eyes, Amy handed the lighter over and pulled another one from her pocket, "I think I'm going to light a candle for the dead tonight as well," she said, suddenly grabbing Dave's hand.

Carter watched in silence as Amy lit a candle and placed it on the altar. As she stepped away, she handed Carter the lighter and watched as he lit a candle for Joshua and placed it on the altar.

"Carter, can I borrow that lighter for a minute?" Peter suddenly said, as he slowly approached the group that was already at the altar. "I think I want to light a candle for Cleo tonight."

There was silence as Carter handed over the lighter and watched as Peter lit a candle and silently placed it on the altar. Carter suddenly realized that the hymn was almost over.

"We should go out and celebrate Christmas morning somewhere," Carter quietly commented, gazing around at the group. "There's a place not far from here that's open 24 hours a day."

At the mention of going out, Dave looked uncomfortable, "I promised Luka that I wouldn't go out and drown my sorrows in alcohol," he stated. "Besides, I'm scheduled to work at six."

"There doesn't have to be drinking," Carter replied. "It's a little cafe on the next corner."

Despite the semi-peaceful mood, Dave still looked uncomfortable and slowly edging away into the shadows, he released Amy's hand, "I almost died on the Christmas Eve after Daniel was born, Carter," his voice a whisper. "I woke up in the surgical recovery ward on Christmas Day night."

Carter's eyes widened, "Your back...that happened on Christmas Eve?" he whispered in shock.

Dave went quiet and looked to Amy for reassurance, "Dave, I know you hate this time of year and I don't blame you," she said, putting an arm around. "However, I think that this year, it would help you to be around friends...If you want, you can even talk about that night...it might help."

"...I'm so reluctant to talk about that outside DeRaad's office, where it's safe," Dave whispered, well aware that he was being watched. "It's been a long day and I'm scared...of what I might say."

Both Carter and Peter watched as Amy quietly talked to Dave. After a few moments, he nodded and looked at Jeanie, "Did you want to join us, Jeanie?" he asked, a plea in his voice.

Knowing that Dave needed both her and Amy there to get through any further interaction with Carter or Peter until he went to work, Jeanie nodded, "That would be nice," she replied.

Peter watched as Jeanie and Amy took hold of Dave's gloved hands, "Carter, since you know where this cafe is, why don't you lead the way?" Jeanie suggested, smiling at Carter.

Nodding, Carter turned and led the group out of the church as another speaker took the pulpit.

* * *

The clock switched to three as Carter stood at the cafe counter, counting out money so that he could pay for the mugs of cocoa and muffins he had just picked out for everyone.

"Thank you," the clerk said, as Carter slid a pile of bills across the counter to the cashier.

While the clerk counted out the change, Carter turned and saw that Dave was now laying awake on one of the couches using Amy and Jeanie's coats as a pillow. Amy and Jeanie were lingering nearby, looking at some of the cafe's Christmas decorations. Peter was watching Dave.

"You should really go to sleep if you're tired," Peter commented, as he saw Dave's eyes drooping.

Dave shook his head, "My back's sore and I don't want nightmares," he replied in a tired voice.

Peter nodded, "Why didn't you mention your past when you worked at County before?" he asked.

"With my supposed unprofessionalism, nobody would have believed me," Dave stated bluntly.

Peter was silent for a moment and sighed, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not a psychiatrist, but maybe talking about it would help you feel better."

"Well, as my wife lay dying in our totaled car, I was on the ground outside, screaming in pain because some psycho had stabbed me multiple times and I was bleeding to death," Dave explained in a soft voice. "Just before paramedics arrived on scene, I took one final breath and passed out...The next thing I remember is waking up in a surgical recovery ward with a tube down my throat with tubes and wires everywhere...When they pulled out the tube, I was told that Dana was in the morgue...I spent that Christmas Day evening crying my eyes out..."

Hating the fact that he could feel tears in his eyes, Dave looked down and suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, "I left my children and Daniel with my father when I heard the news," Amy spoke, smiling at Peter. "Even though he was in Recovery for two days, Dave welcomed my company, but I think I broke every hospital rule in the book by staying with him..."

Relieved that Amy was there and trying to ease the awkwardness of the situation, Dave relaxed and didn't say a word at the look on Peter's face. He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

Amy sighed and gently massaged Dave's neck and shoulders, "Just relax for a few moments, Dave," she said soothingly. "I know that even now, it's a hard thing to talk about...to relive."

"If anyone wants it, I have some cocoa," Carter said, as he approached the couches after having an interesting, yet awkward, conversation with the cashier about holidays.

Dave's eyes suddenly popped open and he stood, "I actually need to get going," he said, turning to Amy with an apologetic look on his face. "It's a long ride to County on the EL from here."

"If you need to be at work by six, stay a bit and I can give you a ride," Carter offered, wondering why Dave wanted to leave so soon, as County wasn't a three hour journey from here.

Dave shook his head, "I could use some time alone to think," he replied. "Amy, Jeanie, can you walk me to the station?" he asked, offering his arms for the ladies to hold on to.

Knowing that Dave needed time to be alone on the EL with his thoughts, Amy and Jeanie nodded, put on their coats, and, taking Dave's arms, they left the cafe together.

Bewildered by Dave's odd behavior, Carter handed Peter a cup of cocoa and Peter drank it in absolute silence. He had learned a lot about Malucci tonight, but wanted to keep it quiet.

* * *

Letting out a yawn as he gently placed the sleepy Joe back in his crib, Luka gazed over at Daniel, who was sound asleep, and quietly walked out of the bedroom.

He had been sound asleep until Joe had begun crying. Fortunately, Daniel was a heavy sleeper and hadn't been disturbed by either Joe's crying or Luka's movements in the room.

As he gazed at the tiny, pre-decorated Christmas tree that sat on his kitchen table, Luka caught a glance of the microwave clock and groaned that it was only four in the morning.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Figuring that Dave had finished his celebratory evening, Luka sighed and, walking over to the door, he opened it. Amy was lingering there, looking upset.

"Amy?" Luka asked, frowning at the look on Amy's face. "Did something happen to Dave?"

Amy shook her head, "No, Dave's on the EL on his way to work," she replied, although there was a touch of sadness in her tone. "I was wondering if we could talk until Daniel wakes up?"

"How did you know where I lived?" Luka asked, as he opened the door a little further.

"Dave told me that you had a listening ear," Amy commented. "Might I come inside?"

Nodding, Luka stepped aside and was silent as Amy came inside the apartment, "I was with Dave at a church service this evening and I lit a candle for the dead," she stated, removing her coat as Luka closed and locked the door. "Katie, my youngest, she was a twin...did you know that?"

"I thought you only had four kids?" Luka asked, as he turned towards Amy. "When we talked at your father's house, you only mentioned giving birth to four kids..."

Fighting the urge to cry, Amy sank down on to the couch, "I gave birth to Katie and another girl, whom I named Kathryn," she explained. "Dave delivered both and was their doctor for the first few months...One evening, both twins came down with a cough and a high fever...Dave was on call that evening and he was able to get Katie stabilized, but Kathryn never recovered and her lung collapsed...Dave worked for over two hours coding her, but Kathryn died..."

Luka didn't reply, so Amy continued, "Christmas Eve is a hard time for a lot of people, including both Dave and I," she stated, gazing at the couch. "It reminds us of what was lost..."

"If you want to talk, you can," Luka said, as he joined Amy on the couch. "I will listen."

Amy was silent for a few moments, contemplating her words as she gazed into Luka's eyes.

* * *

Relieved that it was four in the morning and slow in the ER, Mark walked into the lounge to get some coffee and was surprised to find Dave standing next to his open locker dressed in a suit.

"You're not on until seven," Mark commented, walking over to the coffee pot.

Dave nodded as he removed his suit jacket and hung it in his locker, "I wanted to come in early," he gently replied, as he removed his white coat from his locker and put it on.

"Is everything all right, Dave?" Mark asked, as Malucci's calmness was beginning to worry him.

Dave was silent as he closed his locker, "Everything's fine," he replied tonelessly.

"Did you receive any more of those phone calls?" Mark asked, taking a sip of coffee.

Shaking his head, Dave moved over to the fridge and opened it, "Elton doesn't know that Daniel and I are living with Luka," he replied as he took a half empty jug of milk out of the fridge and studied it. "Besides, he only phones on Christmas Eve because of what happened..."

"You've had a call like that before?" Mark asked, watching as Dave made a face and put the milk back in the fridge. "Have you ever talked to the police about this?"

Dave sighed and shut the fridge door, "If I go to the police about this, it will only cause more problems for Amy and her kids," he replied. "Besides, I don't want anything to happen to Daniel."

In silence, Dave moved back over to his locker and opened it, "Almost forgot my stethoscope," he said, smiling as he removed his stethoscope from his locker and shut the door again.

"Have you gotten any sleep between your shift yesterday and now?" Mark asked, concerned by the fact that Dave seemed both shaken and tired from the call yesterday.

Before Dave could reply, the door opened and Kerry entered the room with a thick file in her hand, "You're an early riser, Doctor Malucci," she commented, very surprised to see Dave in two hours early. "How was your Christmas Eve with Daniel?"

"Before I got sick, I managed to save enough money from my custodial job to buy Daniel some stuff that he both wanted and needed," Dave replied. "I got him a new backpack, new shoes, and his first soccer ball so that he can play soccer with friends in the spring if he wants to...Hockey is too expensive for either of us now, otherwise we'd be playing it every day..."

Kerry smiled, "Mark, can you give us a minute?" she asked. "I need to talk with Doctor Malucci."

Mark nodded and walked out of the lounge. Dave sighed, she was probably going to tell him that his hospital bill was now paid off and he would no longer be needed come the new year.

"Why don't we sit down?" Kerry suggested, gesturing to empty chairs that were at the table.

Dave nodded and obediently sat, watching as Kerry sat and placed the file on the table.

"After that phone call last night, I took the liberty of accessing your file from the medical school in Grenada," Kerry explained as she opened the file. "According to the file, you continued medical school despite the whole ordeal of losing your wife and nearly dying...is that accurate?"

Nodding, Dave swallowed hard, "I didn't think Dana would want me to stop living just because she was unexpectedly ripped from mine and Daniel's lives," he replied.

"The file said that you failed both your Psych and OB/GYN rotations because of physical difficulties following your wife's death," Kerry stated in a gentle tone, as she gave Dave a gentle gaze intended to encourage him into opening up. "Did you want to talk about that?"

Knowing that Kerry only wanted to help him, Dave looked up and met her gaze, "It was hard trying to assist deliveries from a wheelchair and while I was on crutches," he explained. "While I was on the psych rotation, I was also relearning how to walk and I was often in a lot of pain...I was allowed to graduate medical school and when I finished my residency at Mercy, I redid those rotations..."

"I know, I also had a look at more recent files that Doctor Romano happened to have," Kerry stated as she closed the file. "You just needed people to have faith in your abilities."

Dave sighed, "I don't want to badmouth anyone here because of the past," he replied softly. "Whatever I was like in the past, I'm a very different person now...I'm really trying to make a fresh start, but it's not easy."

Kerry nodded, "I know and from what I've observed, you're doing a great job," she replied, now certain that Dave was sincere in his work to mature. "Are you going to be all right today?"

"I plan to spend the down time doing chart work at the desk," Dave replied. "No doubt Daniel's going to be asleep until noon since he opened his presents last night. After I took him to dinner, we went back to Luka's, he opened his presents, and then we spent some time reading."

Kerry was silent, so Dave continued, "Anyway, since I'm here, you can go and share a nice Christmas with Henry," he stated. "Doctor Greene's probably already gone home."

Dave rose from his chair and helped Kerry to her feet. Together, they walked out of the lounge.

"Frank's supposed to be in at about eight and Carter will be on at seven," Kerry explained as she and Dave walked into the waiting area. "Frank's going to be leaving around three so he can have Christmas dinner with his family, but Jerry will be here around four...If it gets busy, don't hesitate to call people in...There are a few nurses on today, but they're all sleeping in exam rooms..."

Dave nodded, "It'll be fine, Doctor Weaver," he replied. "Go and enjoy the day with Henry."

Kerry nodded and smiling, she walked out into the ambulance bay without looking back.

Dave watched Kerry leave for a moment and then turned and made his way over to the desk.

* * *

The sound of a baby crying jolted Amy awake and she realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch with Luka's arms around her. They had been talking about what she could remember from her ordeal and ended up falling asleep.

Realizing from the cry that Joe was probably hungry, Amy gently pulled herself from Luka's gentle hold and stood up. She gazed at his robe and pajamas for a moment before taking her coat off and covering him with it. There was no point in waking Luka, she would take care of Joe herself.

"Hey there, Joe," Amy whispered, as she quietly entered the bedroom and hovered over the crib to find Joe staring back at her. "I guess you're pretty hungry, huh?"

Joe responded by yawning and extending his arms up towards her. Even though it had been a few years since she had cared for a baby, Amy leaned over and gently picked Joe up.

"Auntie Amy?" Daniel groggily asked, surprised to hear and see Dr. Faith there.

Placing Joe against her shoulder, Amy turned and was surprised to see Daniel laying there, staring at her through tired eyes, "What are you doing here?" he sleepily asked.

"I was just talking with Doctor Kovac about some stuff," Amy replied, smiling at Daniel. "It's only six in the morning, Daniel, so why don't you go back to sleep for a little while?"

Daniel nodded and quickly fell back asleep. Amy sighed and quietly carried Joe from the room.

From what Amy could see, Luka was still sound asleep, "Looks like your daddy's sleeping like a log, so I get to feed you," she cooed at Joe as she carried him off into the kitchen.

* * *

Yawning, Luka opened his eyes to find that he was covered with Amy's coat and Amy was nowhere to be seen. He suddenly heard Joe's laugh coming from the kitchen.

Letting out a sigh, Luka rose and wandered into the kitchen. He was surprised to see Amy standing at the stove, cooking some eggs in a pan. Joe was sitting in his high chair with a bowl in front of him and he was in clean clothes with a toy on the highchair counter. Amy looked up from the eggs with a content smile on her face, as she and Joe had been getting along very well.

"Good morning," Amy said, as she turned off the burner. "Where do you keep your plates?"

Luka said nothing, instead he moved over to Joe, "Did he eat?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes, I gave Joe some baby food that I found in your fridge," Amy replied, as she began looking through the cupboards for the plates. "He woke up at six and you were sound asleep."

Frowning, Luka gazed at the microwave clock and was shocked to see that it was almost eight.

"After I fed Joe, I gave him a bath and got one of his sleepers from the bedroom he and Daniel share," Amy explained, as she put the eggs on to a plate. "I also made you some breakfast."

Luka raised an eyebrow, "Thanks, I guess," he said, bewildered at the fact that Amy was suddenly being so nice and open around him. "Um, Amy, did we fall asleep on the couch talking?"

"You had your arms around me, but we didn't have sex or anything like that," Amy replied, as she picked up the plate and carried it over to the table along with a fork. "Anyway, thank you for the listening ear, but I really should be headed home, as my own kids will be wondering where I'm at."

Luka nodded and watched as Amy walked out of the kitchen, "Enjoy Christmas with your son, Luka," she said. "Oh, Daniel will probably run off later today...he'll want to visit Dave at work."

Before Luka could reply, he heard the door close, signalling that Amy had quickly left.

Rolling his eyes, Luka sighed and after glancing at Joe, he turned his attention to his filled plate.

* * *

Ignoring the panic that was rising in her chest, Abby looked around the empty waiting room and sighed. She had not been at County for a long time and being there made her nervous.

It was almost eleven and the ER was still slow, but it would probably become busy later on.

The only reason that she was there now was to visit Carter while her mom made dinner at home.

Closing her eyes, Abby thought back to the night that she came into the ER after waking up from her blackout. Despite it being over a year, she could remember every detail clearly.

_Ignoring the pounding in her head, Abby stumbled into the ER still wearing the jeans and sweatshirt that she had been wearing earlier. Where were Luka and Joe at?_

_Abby rushed over to the desk where Jerry was swamped with paperwork, "Jerry, did Luka bring Joe in here?" she asked in a frantic voice. "I have no idea where they are at right now."_

_Jerry shrugged and turned away, he was swamped. Kerry came out of the lounge and saw Abby standing at the desk looking frantic. She walked over to the desk with a frown on her face._

_"Abby, do you remember what happened tonight?" Kerry asked. "Did you black out?"_

_"Where are Luka and Joe at?" Abby yelled, her voice anxious. _

_Kerry sighed, "Abby, I have to go upstairs to the NICU and talk with the doctors," she replied. "Just wait in chairs until I come back, as Admin wants to meet with you..."_

_"NICU?" Abby asked, concerned. "What happened to Joe? Why is he in NICU? Where's Luka?"_

_Kerry gave yet another concerned look, "Abby, you have a very serious drinking problem that caused you to black out while Joe was in the bathtub," she solemnly explained. "Luka found him unconscious and not breathing in the tub...Fortunately, Joe was rescuscitated and is now recovering in NICU...Luka's upstairs with him...For now, I think you should wait in chairs."_

_Kerry moved off down the hallway. Abby sighed and watched her go in silence._

Fighting the tears that she could feel in her eyes, Abby sank down on to one of the plastic chairs and placed a hand over her face. Her life had gone downhill from that night onward.

_Merely a week later, Abby sat in a courtroom beside a lawyer and watched as behind a table across the room, Luka held Joe close and stared straight ahead at the judge._

_"...Due to the circumstances, I have no choice but to grant full custody of Joe Kovac to his biological father, Luka Kovac, with the parental rights of his biological mother, Abigail Lockhart, fully terminated," the judge declared, ignoring Abby's shocked look. "Doctor Kovac, I apologize for the inconvenience of time that I've caused you this morning...This session is adjourned."_

_Luka rose and in silence, he carried Joe from the courtroom. Abby silently gazed at the table._

"Excuse me..." a male voice said. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

Abby opened her eyes and was surprised to see Dave kneeling beside her with a concerned expression on his face. She raised an eyebrow at seeing him in a suit and a white coat.

"Malucci, I thought you were fired years ago." Abby stated, as she gazed at him curiously. "I didn't know that you were back...I thought Weaver vowed to never let you work here ever again."

Dave sat down on a seat across from her, "Well, a few months ago, Carter hit me with his car, I ended up as a patient here, and the medical bill had to be paid somehow," he replied. "Anyway, it's been a while and last I checked, you were still working here..."

"Well, I'm a recovering alcoholic and since I almost killed my son, I haven't," Abby replied, her voice full of tension. "I spent some time in a California rehab and afterwards, I was a counselor."

There was silence for a moment, "Dave, where's Carter at?" Abby asked, afraid what Dave's reaction to her confession might be. "I heard he was working today."

"Paramedics brought in a homeless man about 15 minutes ago and Carter's examining him in Exam Four," Dave replied, gazing at Abby. "He'll probably come out when he's done."

Abby nodded, "Do you think I'm the most horrible person in the world for almost killing Joe?" she asked, finally allowing herself to look up at Dave. "You must think me a despicable person."

"No, I just think you made a horrible mistake that you're still carrying intense guilt over," Dave replied in a thoughtful voice. "It happened in the past and you're obviously trying to do better."

At that, Abby was silent, as Dave's words made sense, yet she wasn't expecting them from him.

However, she needed someone to talk to and who better than someone who was offering a non-judgmental ear?

* * *

The Dave Malucci she knew was brash and immature. Obviously, that man had since faded away.

Carter sighed as Haleh opened a suture kit on the portable tray and the patient, a gray haired man with ragged clothes and a frizzy beard, grinned, revealing a set of crooked teeth. There was a huge gash on his forehead that was bleeding profusely, yet the man was in a cheerful mood.

"Hey, where's Doctor Dave at?" the man asked, as he looked at Carter. "I heard a rumor that he was working here again and it's been a while since I last saw him and his kid."

Thinking that the man was just delirious, Carter looked at Haleh, "Haleh, can we get something for this guy?" he asked in an amused tone. "I think he might be dehydrated..."

"I can't believe I slipped and cut my forehead on icicles," the man said, watching as Haleh put a needle in his arm and hooked up an IV. "I'm gonna miss the meal at the soup kitchen now..."

Carter nodded, "I could get you a food voucher and you could get something from the cafeteria after I stitch your head up," he offered. "Everyone deserves to eat on Christmas Day."

"You know, several years ago, I went to the soup kitchen for the first time," the guy continued, eager to talk now that Carter and Haleh were now listening. "I was sitting at a table, eating my meal, when this young guy dressed in rags comes staggers in with a little boy in his arms...the manager goes to talk to the man and it turns out that the poor guy was fired from a job not long before and he was starving himself just to keep his kid fed and clothed..."

Haleh frowned, "If it wasn't for soup kitchens, half the city would starve," she commented, as she began to irrigate the wound. "Food prices are just getting higher and higher..."

"Anyway, the manager gets the guy to sit down and gets him some food," the man explained. "As the guy is eating, he tells the manager that some woman at County tossed him out on his ear even after he told her he had a kid to support...The guy and his kid came in there last year, but they ate together and quickly left..."

At those words, Haleh froze and placed a hand over her mouth, realizing that the man was referring to Dr. Malucci, as she remembered those words being spoken from nearly seven years ago when she overheard that final confrontation between Dr. Weaver and Dr. Malucci.

_"...I need this job, you can't fire me, I have a kid to support..."_

In silence, Haleh left the room and as she passed the desk, she saw Frank sitting at the desk.

"Frank, where's Doctor Malucci?" Haleh asked, as she stopped at the desk.

Frank gestured to the lounge, "Daniel showed up a few minutes ago and Doctor Malucci took him to the lounge to find him some lunch," he replied. "Did you need him for something?"

Haleh shook her head and made her way to the doctor's lounge, needing to talk to Dave.

* * *

As the lounge door opened, Dave looked up from the book he was reading with Daniel and was surprised to see Haleh standing there, "Haleh, does Doctor Carter need something?" he asked.

"Did you get anything to eat today, Doctor Malucci?" Haleh asked, wondering if the homeless man's comments about Dave going hungry to feed his kid were accurate.

Dave shook his head, "There's nothing edible in the fridge and there's not time to go upstairs to the cafeteria," he replied, not wanting to confess to Haleh that he was now broke because of spending what little money he had on Christmas Eve dinner, Daniel's presents, and the bouquet of flowers that he had placed on Dana's grave. "We could get busy at any time..."

Giving Dave a look that indicated that she didn't believe him, Haleh nodded and silently left the lounge. Swallowing hard, Dave smiled at Daniel and they turned their attention back to reading.

After a moment of silence, Abby rose from behind the couch and moved over to the coffee pot, "Thanks for not saying that I was in here, waiting for Carter," she replied, giving Dave and Daniel a smile. "I'm just not ready for a lot of people to know that I'm back in Chicago yet."

Nodding, Dave smiled and put an arm around Daniel, "Your secret's safe with me," he replied.

"You almost done there, doc?" the homeless man, who had introduced himself as Donny, asked, as Carter finished the sutures and removed the draping. "I'm starting to get really hungry..."

Haleh entered the room and tossed a takeout menu on the portable table, "Carter, when you're done, can you order lunch for Doctor Malucci?" she asked, as she walked over to the other side of the room to change the IV bag, which had almost run dry.

"We're not busy, Dave can take ten minutes and go across the street to the Jumbo Mart if he wants food," Carter replied, as he placed some dressings over the sutures and applied tape.

Donny chuckled, "The Jumbo Mart is full of overpriced chemical garbage," he ranted, his voice slightly shaky. "If I know Dave, he's got no money for that crap..unless it's for his kid."

Carter was silent, so Haleh quickly changed the IV bag, "I don't think Doctor Malucci has any money and he's too ashamed to say anything," she stated, glaring at Carter for his ignorance.

"Doctor Dave's never really worried about himself, you know?" Donny stated, suddenly reaching into his coat pocket with his free hand and pulling out an old photo. "If you happen to see Doctor Dave later, could you give him that photo? It was taken last year during the New Year's Eve Day health blitz...that clinic does a lot for the entire city."

Intrigued, Carter took the photo and looked at it, "That's Dave all right," he commented, recognizing Dave despite the raggedy attire he was wearing in the photo. "Who's the guy he's got an arm around that looks determined to succeed?"

"Doctor Dave does a lot of volunteer work at various places all over the city, not just at the clinic," Donny stated, peering at the photo. "Oh, that's one of Doctor Dave's proteges..Chase Carter, I think...he looks too old to be Nathan Romano."

Carter's eyes widened, "I didn't know Dave knew Chase," he stated, shocked.

"Oh yeah, when the clinic opened, some gal from the Carter Family Foundation stopped by with Chase and offered Doctor Dave some money," Donny replied. "Doctor Dave refused the money, but he, Doctor Faith, and some woman named Jeanie all hang out with Chase now and then."

Bewildered that he was hearing the oddest things about Dave, Carter smoothed down the tape, "You're done, Donny," he stated, standing up. "Once the IV runs dry, you're free to leave."

Carefully tucking the photo in the pocket of his white coat, Carter looked at Haleh, "Haleh, can you keep Dave in the lounge for a little while?" he asked, as he picked up the menu. "I think that I'll order a little food for Dave so that he can have some sort of Christmas dinner."

"Well, since Daniel borrowed some money from Doctor Kovac and came here in a cab to spend Christmas with his father, Dave's already in the lounge," Haleh replied. "I'm pretty sure Daniel had breakfast thanks to Doctor Kovac, but I'm sure they could both use some lunch.

Carter nodded and the two of them left the exam room discussing their plans to surprise Dave.

* * *

Across town, Amy sighed and watched as her father put the turkey in the oven and shut the door, "...I don't know what compelled me to go over to Luka's early this morning," she said, giving her father an exasperated look. "Dave said that Luka was a good listener..."

"Well, Dave wouldn't tell you to do anything that would cause you harm," Robert replied, as he moved over to a bowl of yams that needed to be mashed. "I think it did you some good."

There was a moment of silence and Nathan, who was dressed in a t-shirt, pajama pants, and slippers, wandered into the kitchen with his laptop under his arm, "Is there a space where I can do my homework?" he asked, annoyance in his tone. "Erinn and Katie are putting together Katie's Barbie doll house and Lucas is playing Nintendo...The noise is driving me absolutely insane."

Robert gestured to the kitchen table, "You can sit there until dinner is ready," he replied, relieved that his grandson seemed to be suddenly serious about school. "Where are your glasses?"

Giving his grandfather a look, Nathan set the laptop on the table and opened it, "They're right here," he replied, as he took them out of his pocket and put them on. "I know it's Christmas, but I need to do some today, since my new girlfriend and I are volunteering at the clinic on New Year's Eve day...Her dad's a doctor and she wanted to help, so Doctor Dave's letting me bring her."

"Well, if Dave says that it's all right to bring her, it's fine with me," Amy replied, gently mussing Nathan's hair as he sat at the computer. "I'm going to mash the yams and then I'm going to take a small nap until dinnertime...Dad, go and see what those kids are up to..I'll watch things in here."

Robert nodded and left the room. Amy gazed at Nathan before moving over to the counter.

"Did you sleep with Doctor Kovac, Mom?" Nathan asked, as he began typing.

As she picked up the masher, Amy shook her head, "No, Luka and I only talked," she replied.

Nathan shrugged and turned back to his homework, he didn't necessarily believe that to be true but he didn't care, as Luka seemed to be a good guy and for once, his mother should be a little happy.

* * *

As the digital clock switched to 13:00, Carter pushed open the lounge door and found that Dave and Daniel were sitting upright on the couch asleep. There was a book on Dave's lap.

"Dave, do you have a minute?" Carter asked, as he walked over to the couch and gently tapped Dave on the shoulder. "We've got a patient that I could use a little help with...Frank's got the information about it at the desk."

Blinking, Dave nodded and gently moving his arm, he stood up, "Yeah, could you keep an eye on Daniel for me?" he asked, moving towards the door. "Hopefully, this won't take too long."

Carter was silent and watched as Dave moved out of the lounge and over to the desk, "Frank, where's the patient that Carter needed me to look at?" he asked, his voice groggy.

There was silence and Abby suddenly came out from around the corner accompanied by what looked like a delivery man who was carrying a large bag full of takeout boxes, "Doctor Malucci?" the man asked as he held out the bag. "I believe this is for you."

"Um, I'm a little short on cash so I didn't order this," Dave replied, both fear and reluctance in his voice. "It smells really good, but I can't afford that...can you just take it back?"

Abby smiled, "Dave, it's already been paid for," she replied, giving Carter a glance. "Carter, why don't you wake Daniel so he and Dave can share their Christmas dinner together?"

Carter nodded and moved back into the lounge, "Abby, I don't understand," Dave said, as he stared at the bag in confusion. "Why would Carter want to buy food for Daniel and I?"

"It's Christmas Day and you're balancing working with spending time with Daniel," Abby replied, managing a smile. "Carter figured you could use a pick-me-up and both Haleh and I agree."

Dave gave her a look, "You talked with Haleh?" he asked. "How did that go?"

"No, I waited out in chairs while Carter and Haleh conspired to order you and Daniel something nice for Christmas dinner," Abby replied, crossing her arms. "I'm not really comfortable with anyone besides you or Carter knowing that I'm around...I don't want to be judged."

The lounge door opened and Carter came out with Daniel, "Hey, Abby, do you still have your medical license?" Dave asked, as Carter and Daniel approached the desk.

"Yeah, I still have my medical license," Abby replied, giving Dave a curious look. "Why?"

Dave smiled, "Well, the clinic that Amy and I run is going to be slammed with patient on New Year's Eve day," he explained. "If you and Carter aren't doing anything, why don't you come by, I'll get you some volunteer badges and you can learn a little about street medicine."

Abby nodded, "That actually sounds like an idea," she replied. "What time should I be there?"

"I'll be there just after midnight, prepping things while Daniel's asleep," Dave replied. "You can come at any time. Just knock on the door and I'll let you in...any willing help is accepted."

Carter smiled and put an arm around Abby, "Enjoy Christmas lunch with your son," he said, as he watched Daniel hug Dave. "I'm going to take a walk with Abby. Page me if we get busy."

Dave took the bag and carried it over to the counter, "If you want to take a break, Frank, I can watch the desk while Daniel and I eat," he said, gazing over at Frank as the delivery guy left.

Frank gave Dave a look of gratitude, "I think I'll go up to the cafeteria, grab something to eat and maybe I'll call my family," he stated, rising from the desk and walking off down the hallway.

Smiling, Dave opened the bag and began putting takeout boxes on the counter, "Hey, Daniel, while I finish setting stuff out, could you get the plates out of the bag and dish us up some food?" he asked in a gentle tone. "I'll eat whatever you put on my plate...I'm just grateful that Doctor Carter was kind enough to provide us with a decent Christmas Day meal..."

"I think Mom's watching over us today, Dad, I really do," Daniel said, as he grabbed the plates out of the bag and began putting food from the takeout boxes on to each plates with the plastic utensils that were also in the bag. "I love you so much, Dad, I really do...you know that?"

Dave nodded and not wanting Daniel to see tears in his eyes, he looked heavenward, "I love you too, Daniel," he softly replied. "I know that your mom is watching over us each and every day."

Blinking, Dave looked down and smiled at Daniel as they dug into their Christmas Day meal.


	12. Revenge on New Year's Eve

Soft rock music filtered outside as Abby pushed open the door and entered the clinic, only to find a young girl who resembled Dr. Faith at the desk with a pad of paper and a phone in front of her.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Doctor Malucci?" Abby asked, smiling at Erinn as she approached the desk. "He said that I could come by and help out at the clinic today."

The girl was silent for a moment and then she pressed a small intercom buzzer that was on the desk, "Katie, can you get Doctor Dave? There's some lady at the desk wanting to see him."

Abby smirked, she couldn't remember the last time she was referred to as a lady.

"Erinn, what are you doing at the desk?" Dave's voice suddenly answered. "Where's Nathan?"

"Oh, hey Doctor Dave," Erinn replied. "Nathan went to pick up his girlfriend an hour ago."

Erinn looked at Abby, "What's your name?" she asked curiously.

"Abby Lockhart, I'm a doctor," Abby replied in a gentle tone, trying to look confident.

Before Erinn could reply, Amy, who had been in the back showing Lucas and Katie how to prepare exam beds, came out into the foyer, "You must be Abby," she said warmly, extending her hand to Abby. "Dave mentioned that you and John were coming to help out today."

"John slept in, I think he'll be here by noon, though," Abby said, smiling as she and Dr. Faith shook hands. "From what Dave told me, I'm guessing you are Doctor Faith?"

Amy smiled, "Actually, my last name and that of my children's is Romano," she explained, as she put a friendly arm around Abby. "Dave's in the back getting things ready, but he asked me to come and give you a tour. After that, we'll go and see what we can do to help him, all right?"

Abby nodded, already feeling at ease about being here, "All right," she replied.

"Erinn, when Nathan comes back with his girlfriend, tell him that he's on desk duty," Amy stated, as she led Abby further into the clinic. "Dave or I will find something for his girlfriend to do."

Erinn nodded and turned her attention back to the door, as she had to monitor who came in and out because of safety precautions that Dr. Malucci had recently implemented into clinic policy.

* * *

Impressed by the fact that she could hear a great deal of productive noise coming from the clinic, Jeanie opened the door and led Chase inside by the hand. She saw Nathan at the desk dressed in jeans and a sweater shirt. He looked up from some notes, revealing glasses on his face.

"Nate!" Chase jabbered in an excited voice, happy to see his friend. "I came with Jeanie to help!"

Nathan smiled and rose from the desk, "Hey there, Chase," he replied, as he came around the desk and gave both Chase and Jeanie a hug. "Everyone's in the common exam room...There's about 60 people here already getting medical help...I love these medical blitzes."

Smiling, Nathan pulled a walkie talkie from his belt, "Doctor Dave, Jeanie and Chase are here," he stated into the walkie talkie. "Should I get them looking at patients?"

"...Yeah, we've got about 30 more coming in through the side door," the voice of Dave replied. "Abby, your mom, and I are busy with patients already...Your girlfriend's looking after all the kids that don't need medical attention...Katie and Lucas are making sure everyone's relaxed and comfortable while they wait...send Jeanie and Chase back here and then go start up the grill out back...get some food out of the freezer in the alley...you can make lunch for everyone..."

Nathan smiled at Jeanie, "You heard the boss," he replied in a pleasant tone as he rose and moved outside to find the grill and begin making a barbecue lunch for everyone.

Jeanie smiled and squeezed Chase's hand, "Chase, let's go help," she gently instructed, leading Chase through the foyer and down the hallway. "I'm sure Doctor Dave is anxious to see you."

As they entered the common exam room and saw it filled with people, Jeanie waved to Dave, who was finishing up an IV on a person laying on a bed in the corner. Dave smiled and waved back.

"C'mon Chase, let's go see who needs help," Jeanie said, as she grabbed a blank chart from the cart of sorted supplies that Dave had set up earlier that day.

Chase grinned like a little kid at Christmas and followed Jeanie into the sea of people.

* * *

Across town, near an abandoned warehouse, Elton lit a cigarette and waited impatiently in front of the semi that he had rented. The driver of the semi was urinating behind the building.

Taking a puff, Elton threw the cigarette down and stamped on it. He knew that today was going to be busy at the clinic, as his horrible ex-wife and Malucci also ran a medical blitz last year on New Year's Eve Day.

Since both of them would be within the clinic, there was every guarantee that if the semi hit at just the right angle, they would both die. A lot of innocent people would also die, not that Elton cared.

Ever since Malucci survived the near-fatal stabbing in Grenada and still managed to protect Amy from the abuse that she deserved for not being submissive, Elton had hated both of them.

"Yo estoy dispuesto a ir, ¿dónde quieres que te lleve a?" the Mexican driver whom Elton had asked for help and promised a very large fee to, asked as he came out from behind the building.

Elton smiled menacingly about the dynamite that he had strapped to the bottom of the semi, for once the semi had crashed into the clinic, he would detonate it and chaos would reign supreme.

The brats his sperm had created were most likely at the clinic too, but Elton wanted them dead too. He had never wanted children, he had only wanted to cause his ex-wife intense pain.

"Quiero que vaya a esta dirección y unidad de las semifinales en el edificio," Elton replied, handing the driver a piece of paper with the clinic's address on it.

Horrified at what he was being asked to do, the driver shook his head and began talking rapidly in Spanish, so fast that Elton could only tell that the driver wasn't comfortable with the idea.

"Quiero que vaya a esta dirección y unidad de las semifinales en el edificio," Elton again stated, pulling a loaded pistol from his pants pocket and pointing it at the driver. "Hazlo, o te pego un tiro y tomar el mismo semi."

The driver was silent for a moment, "Muy bien, voy a conducir a la clínica y no hacer preguntas," he replied slowly as he moved over to the driver's door. "Eso sí, no me maten."

Pleased that the time spent stalking Malucci in Grenada and learning the language seemed to have some benefit to his current plans, Elton smiled and opened the passenger door. He pulled himself into the truck and slammed the door, pondering as he waited for the truck to start. The blood was going to spill and it would be truly glorious to see.

* * *

Letting out a yawn as another treated patient moved off to enjoy the barbecue party that had manifested itself both in the foyer and outside, Dave stretched and gazed at the cart.

"Hey, Amy, I'm going up to the attic and getting some more supplies," Dave yelled to Amy, who was across the room dealing with a head laceration, as he stood up and moved towards the door.

Amy nodded and gestured to Chase, who was looking slightly tired from working so hard, "Hey, Chase, why don't you go help Doctor Dave?" she suggested. "You've been working hard since seven and after you help Dave, you can get a burger and take a break, okay?"

Chase nodded eagerly and got to his feet, "Wait up!" he jabbered excitedly, running over to where Dave was standing with a smile on his face. "I wanna help you Doctor Dave!"

Dave smiled and put a protective arm around Chase, "Well, buddy, we're needing some supplies and we need to get them from the attic," he explained, as they walked out into the hallway.

Chase watched as Dave grabbed a string that hung from the ceiling and pulled down a wooden flight of stairs that touched the floor, "We need quite a few supplies, so we'll be up here for a little while...Are you okay with that?"

Chase nodded eagerly, so Dave took his hand, "Dad!" a voice suddenly said. "Can I come too?"

Dave turned to find Daniel standing there, "Can I help you and Chase?" he asked in an eager voice. "Everyone else is too busy to give me something to do...I wanna help!"

Dave grinned and mussed Daniel's hair, "Sure you can help us," he replied. "C'mon."

Daniel beamed and followed his father and Chase up the stairs into the supply attic.

* * *

In the supply closet, Amy sighed as she took another canister of empty syringes off the top shelf of the left rack. Despite being tired, she suddenly found herself missing both Luka and Joe.

Once her kids had turned in for the evening on Christmas Day night, Amy had phoned Luka and had invited him to work in the clinic that New Year's Eve day, but he had to work at County.

The first time they had met, Amy knew that they hadn't gotten along too well and it was equally both their faults, as they were both stubborn to the core. However, as time had gone on she had found herself wanting to be Luka's friend, if not something much, much more.

"Hey, Doctor Faith, I was wondering if you found those syringes yet," Abby commented, as she opened the door and saw Amy staring blankly at the top shelf. "Some patients are starting to complain that they'll die if they don't get numbed up before they get stitches..."

Amy laughed, "Sorry, Abby, I was just thinking about things," she replied, as she handed the box of syringes to Abby. "We're short on other stuff too, but Dave and Chase are up in the attic getting more supplies...I know we're busy, I just needed a moment alone to think."

Abby studied Amy for a moment, "You've met Luka, haven't you?" she asked, intrigued.

Amy's eyes widened, "How did you know that?" she asked, surprised at Abby's comment.

"You endured a terrible ordeal when you went missing for two weeks, yet you seem calmer," Abby replied. "Not even Dave could calm you that much...You must have talked with Luka about it."

Nodding, Amy sighed, "I still can't remember everything that happened and after talking to Dave about it, I still felt unsettled," she admitted. "Dave suggested I talk to someone who could offer advice about it in an impartial manner...Somehow, I ended up talking with Luka and felt better."

"I think Luka would be good for you," Abby commented. "Even though I don't love him anymore and I'm very much in love with John, I think Luka deserves true happiness...so do you."

Feeling a blush creeping over her face, Amy looked down, "Um, we should get these supplies out there so the patients don't start a riot," she said with a smile. "Then, I think we'd better go check on the barbecue party that has manifested itself in the foyer...I hope that Nathan is being responsible with the grill and not letting things burn because of his girlfriend..."

Abby nodded, eager to sneak a burger after she took out the spare syringes, since Jeanie and Yosh, who had been a per diem nurse at the clinic for about a year, were handling the patients that needed immediate assistance, "Maybe after that, we could even sneak a burger and wolf it down before getting back to work?" she suggested as they left the supply closet.

"Now that you mention it, I could use a burger," Amy replied, as they walked back into the mass of people. "It's starting to slow down here anyway, since most of the people are outside eating...Could you grab me one?"

Abby managed a laugh and as they resumed their work, the joyful mood continued.

* * *

Realizing that it was nearly noon and he was probably going to get a lecture for sleeping late and leaving the clinic shorthanded for the morning, Carter pulled his car over to the side of the road.

Allowing himself a sheepish grin, Carter got out of his car and as he locked it, he looked across the street and noticed a crowd people outside, lingering beside a grill that was being manned by Nathan, who was flipping burgers while talking with a girl that looked like Rachel Greene.

It seemed like a peaceful event, Carter thought to himself as he waited at the crosswalk for the WALK sign to appear so that he could get over to the clinic. He thought he could hear music.

While waiting, Carter noticed Abby come out of the clinic and grab a burger from the table next to the grill. She was smiling and after talking with Nathan for a moment, she went back inside.

As the sign changed, a loud horn blared out of nowhere and just before Carter was ready to cross, a large semi came speeding down the road and crashed into the clinic.

Horrified, Carter stood motionless for a moment and then ran towards the damaged building.

* * *

"Mark, we have to do something about the Ray Barnett situation," Kerry said, as Mark entered the lounge and walked over to the coffee pot. "He neglected to show up for his shift yet AGAIN."

Mark grabbed a styrofoam cup and filled it with coffee, "Malucci's not even here to yell at him, since Anspaugh hasn't given him any more hours," he replied. "No doubt Mr. Barnett is sleeping off a hangover because he spent the night playing with his band in a bar and getting drunk..."

"That's another thing we need to talk about, Mark," Kerry stated. "Romano says that Malucci's hospital bill is paid...The thing is, I'm not so sure if I want to lose a good member of staff."

Mark gave Kerry a surprised look, "You want to keep Malucci on staff?" he asked in a surprised tone. "I thought you were just tolerating Malucci for the sake of the situation."

Kerry sighed, "I know that the budget doesn't allow for hiring of any more ER staff and that our roster is full," she replied. "However, maybe we can find him a place in Peds or something."

"Well, I'm not going to ask Malucci about it today, as he's busy running his clinic," Mark stated, taking a sip of coffee. "I'll talk to Anspaugh about it later and I'll talk to Malucci tomorrow."

Suddenly, a scream could be heard from outside the lounge, followed by loud chatter.

Frowning, Mark and Kerry moved towards the door, concerned as to what was going on.

* * *

Upon exiting the lounge, Mark and Kerry saw several of the ER staff clustered around the wall TV, which had a scene of a semi in the middle of a large building displayed on it. Both Jerry and Frank were at the desk and while Frank was on the computer, Jerry was talking on the CB radio.

"What's going on here?" Kerry asked as she moved over to the desk. "Why is there a movie on?"

Frank sighed, but kept his eyes on the computer, "We just got a call from dispatch that a semi crashed into some medical clinic and rescue workers are just arriving on scene," he replied, his tone slightly solemn. "Doctor Kovac's already prepping trauma rooms..."

"...This is Channel Five reporting live from the scene of the Free Clinic of Hope," a reporter said as behind him, people were moving around and a huge amount of noise was being made.

Suddenly, Carter, who was trying to find Abby in the chaos, came into view and the reporter grabbed him, "Are you one of the head of this clinic,?" he asked, gazing at Carter.

"No, I'm not, the head of the clinic is Doctor Dave Malucci, but I don't know where he is," Carter replied, suddenly seeing Amy emerge from the damaged building. "Amy, where is everyone?"

Rolling her eyes at the appearance of the media, Amy sighed and walked over, "Jeanie, Abby, and Yosh are still inside trying to get people out and stabilize people that are trapped," she replied. "Dave, Chase, and Daniel went up to the supply attic nearly half an hour ago, but I can't get him on his walkie talkie...Nathan and Rachel are inside trying to get people out...Lucas and Katie are evacuating kids out the side door...John, I need you to help me find where Dave is..."

"What caused a semi to crash into the clinic?" the reporter asked, oblivious to the gravity of the situation unfolding behind him. "Would you take a moment and talk with me?"

Glaring at the reporter, Amy muttered swear words under her breath and as she walked off back towards the clinic, she pulled a walkie talkie from her belt and began speaking into it.

Mark's eyes widened as on the screen, Carter sighed and suddenly looked angry.

"If anyone from County is watching, we could really use another doctor on scene," Carter stated in an angry tone as he turned and ran back towards the chaotic scene.

Mark looked at Kerry, "I'm going to take my van and drive over to the clinic," he stated. "Stay here and help Luka prepare the ER. "I'm guessing that there's about 50 or more there..."

Kerry nodded, "Take some supplies and meds with you," she ordered, turning her attention to the crowd crowded around the TV. "Let's get to work people! Jerry, say that we'll take as many as we can...Keep in touch with the rescue crews and let me know when Doctor Malucci is found."

Letting out a deep sigh, Mark turned and walked off towards the supply and drug lockers.

* * *

Letting out a groan, Dave opened his eyes and immediately realized that his legs were pinned to the floor by a supply shelf that had fallen when the semi crashed into the clinic. He quickly realized that part of the roof had fallen in, effectively trapping him in a small space with no escape route. He must have passed out from shock when the truck hit the clinic.

"Dad, are you okay?" Dave heard Daniel's voice yell from the other side of the fallen ceiling.

Dave winced and pulled himself into a semi-sitting position, "Daniel, where are you?" he yelled anxiously. "Are you and Chase okay?"

"Chase is scared, but I'm okay," Daniel replied. "I can't get to you...part of the roof fell in."

Dave nodded, "Daniel, are the stairs still down?" he asked.

Even though he was feeling scared, Daniel moved away from the corner where Chase was huddled in fear and saw that the stairs were still intact, but not by much.

"The stairs are still there," Daniel replied in a trembling voice. "They don't look damaged."

Dave nodded, "All right, I need you to be brave right now," he said, trying to hide the intense fear in his voice. "I want you to take Chase and go downstairs...tell someone that I'm trapped up here."

"Dad, I wanna stay with you!" Daniel protested. "Chase doesn't want to leave you either..."

Even though nobody could see him, Dave nodded, "You and Chase are gonna have to be brave for me," he replied. "I have my walkie talkie, so once you two are outside, I want you to find someone who has a walkie talkie and talk to me, okay?"

Daniel nodded and crawled over to where Chase was huddled, "Chase, my dad says we have to be brave and go downstairs," he said, gently placing a hand on Chase's arm.

Chase looked at Daniel, "Doctor Dave's trapped," he whimpered. "I can't leave him."

"Chase, you have to be brave and go with Daniel," Dave's voice sounded out from behind the fallen roof. "I know you're scared, but you have to be brave for me...okay?"

Chase hesitated for a moment and reluctantly got to his feet, "I'll be brave for you, Doctor Dave," he said, as he followed Daniel to the stairs. "I'll be brave..."

As he heard footsteps descend the attic stairs, Dave sighed and with a shaking hand, he pulled the walkie talkie off his belt and raised it to his mouth, "Is anyone there?" he asked.

* * *

As ambulance doors were closed and another rig took off with its sirens wailing, Amy walked back into the damaged clinic with Carter following close behind, "John, go see if Abby needs some help getting more people out," she ordered, watching as yet another ambulance drove away.

"...Is anyone there?" a voice sounded out on the walkie talkie that was clipped to Amy's belt.

Amy's eyes widened as she took the walkie talkie off her belt and put it up to her mouth, "Dave?" she asked, gazing at Carter, who looked shocked. "Dave, where are you? Are you all right?"

"..When the semi hit the clinic, some stuff fell and I pushed both Chase and Daniel to the other side of the attic," the weak voice of Dave replied. "Some shelf is pinning my legs down and I can't lift it...the roof fell in...just barely missed me...Chase and Daniel are on their way out..."

Carter grabbed the walkie talkie, but before he could use it, he saw Nathan leading a trembling Chase and Daniel out of the wreckage, "Doctor Carter, they're both fine, but Chase is scared out of his mind and says he has to be brave because Doctor Malucci told him to be..."

Seeing the walkie talkie in Carter's hand, Daniel grabbed it, "Dad, can you hear me?" he asked as he fought to keep calm. "Chase and I are outside with Aunt Amy and Doctor Carter."

Having run every red light just to get to the scene and park his car across the street near Carter's, Mark ran up to them, "...Go tell Nathan to turn the gas and power off...I think some water pipes up here are busted...I think I'm being rained on..." Dave's voice sounded out. "...Did someone call for a tow truck or something to get that semi pulled out of the clinic?"

"Is that Malucci?" Mark asked, giving both Carter and Amy a look. "Where is he?"

"Jeanie called them and they should be sending a tow service in about an hour," Amy replied into the walkie talkie, raising a hand to shush Mark. "Dave, are you injured at all?"

There was a moment of silence, "...I have no idea," Dave's voice replied. "Once someone can get up here and get this shelf off my legs...Don't send just anyone up here, the floor's unstable..."

"You're at risk for hypothermia and you might have possible fractures," Mark argued into the walkie talkie. "I can send paramedics up there in a manner of minutes..."

"...There are at least 60 people who are in need of the ambulances more than I am," Dave's voice, which was growing weaker by the minute. "...I can wait...I'm last on the triage list..."

The walkie talkie beeped, "..Look, Doctor Greene, help everyone else that you can reach," Dave's voice said. "...I'll stay here and save whatever strength I can...tell Nathan to take someone's car and take Daniel and his siblings to County...Rachel should go too...it's safer there."

Amy nodded and moved back towards the wreckage, "Doctor Faith, tell Nathan to take my vehicle," he said, tossing Amy the keys. "He's a safe driver, right?"

As she turned and caught the keys in her hands, Amy nodded and promptly disappeared into the sea of people. Mark looked down at the walkie talkie in his hand and then looked at Carter, who was trying to talk to Chase and being ignored, as Chase was hugging Daniel and crying.

"Carter, go inside and up to the attic," Mark ordered, as he watched Daniel hold Chase and talk quietly to him. "I don't care if the floor is unstable...Malucci shouldn't be left alone."

A shout came from inside, "CARTER!" a voice screamed. "WE NEED YOU HERE NOW!"

Mark sighed, "Carter, go and see what that screaming's about," he ordered. "Daniel, can I give you my cell phone and you phone County for me? Tell them to prep for traumas..."

Daniel nodded, so Mark pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to him, "Stay on the phone with whoever answers," he stated. "Tell them that I'm going inside to check on Doctor Malucci...I want you and Chase to go over and sit by the cars across the road...okay?"

"Tell my dad I love him, okay?" Daniel requested, as he whispered Dr. Greene's instructions into Chase's ear.

Watching as Chase and Daniel stood and quickly moved across the street, Mark sighed and, after seeing the two reach the cars safely, he put the walkie talkie to his mouth, "Malucci, you still there?" he asked, concerned that Dave would die of shock and hypothermia fairly quickly.

"...Yeah, I'm still here," Dave's voice replied. "What's up?"

"I don't care if the floor is unstable, I'm coming up there," Mark replied in a stern tone.

There was a beep and cracking, "The walkie talkie's low on batteries," Dave's tired voice stated. "I'm gonna have to turn it off...in case there's an emergency..."

Before Mark could react, there was a click. Mark stared at the walkie talkie for a moment before turning. Being careful of the semi that was still there but not running, he edged his way inside, silently praying that the attic stairs were still intact.

Malucci was a stubborn person, yet he was a good doctor and a life that needed to be saved.

* * *

Despite every available medical personnel in the hospital being in the ER to deal with the 30 plus patients that had been brought to the ER, Kerry saw Frank at the desk on the phone.

"Doctor Weaver, it's Daniel Malucci on Doctor Greene's cell phone," Frank said, offering the reciever to Kerry. "He says that Doctor Greene told him to call here..."

Frowning, Kerry took the receiver, "Daniel, it's Doctor Weaver," she said into the phone. "You want the speaker phone on? Okay, one moment..."

Frank pressed the speaker phone button, "...Doctor Greene told me to phone the hospital and tell someone that he's going into the supply attic to check on my dad," Daniel's voice explained, which shocked Kerry. "My dad's trapped up there with a shelf on his legs...When the truck hit, he pushed me and Chase out of the way so nothing would fall on us..."

"Where is Doctor Greene now?" Kerry, who was concerned what was going on at the clinic site, asked. "Why are you phoning and what is going on over there?"

Before Daniel could reply, Kerry could suddenly hear the sound of a big rig truck nearby and concerned, she looked at Frank, "Daniel, what was that noise?" she asked.

"That was the tow truck to pull the semi out," Daniel replied through the crackles. "...I have to go now, though, Nathan and Rachel have Erinn, Lucas, and Katie...they want to leave..."

Kerry nodded as there was a click, indicating that Daniel had hung up. Kerry sighed and seeing that another ambulance was approaching, she swore and ran out to the bay.


	13. Chaos to End Another Year

Hearing sirens in the distance, Nathan scooped Katie up in his arms as they walked up the ambulance bay, "Hold on to me, Katie-bug, so I can take Daniel's hand," he stated gently, smiling at his youngest sister. "Erinn, Lucas, I want you to take Rachel's hands and hold on to them."

Rachel smiled, impressed by Nathan's take charge attiude, "What do we do once we get inside?" she asked, watching as Erinn and Lucas took her hands and Daniel took hold of Nathan's hand.

"Um, take Erinn and Lucas into the lounge," Nathan replied, as they neared the door. "If you're also willing to take Katie, I can go to the desk with Daniel and see what's going on."

Rachel nodded and as they walked inside, Nathan passed Katie to her and she quickly ushered Erinn and Lucas into the doctor's lounge. Nathan led Daniel over to the unmanned desk.

The phone suddenly rang and not seeing anyone around, Nathan led Daniel around the desk and picked up the receiver, "Hello, County ER," he said into the phone. "...Um, Doctor Anspaugh, I guess I am a temp...I'm Doctor Romano's grandson, Nathan...Anyway, what can I do for you?"

Seeing that Nathan was needing to take a message, Daniel climbed up in a chair and slid a pad of paper and a pen over to him. Nathan mouthed a thank you to him and began taking notes.

Kerry came down the hallway from the trauma room and was very surprised to see both Daniel and Nathan at the desk, but neither of them noticed her, "...All right, Doctor Anspaugh, so I'm supposed to tell Doctor Weaver that you're coming downstairs right away to help ease the load and that Doctor Benton and Doctor Corday are coming down to do consults," Nathan repeated, as he squinted at the notes he had made. "Right...okay...see you in a few moments sir, bye."

Annoyed that his reading ability was garbage without his glasses, Nathan sighed and, pulling his glasses from his jeans pocket, he put them on just in time to notice Doctor Weaver, "Oh, hello," he said, wondering if he was going to get yelled at for answering the phone without permission.

Daniel smiled, "Hi Doctor Weaver," he said. "Did someone find my dad yet?"

"I haven't heard anything more from Doctor Greene yet, I'm sorry," Kerry apologized, smiling as she looked at Nathan, "You said that you're Doctor Romano's grandson?"

Nathan nodded, "Yes ma'am," he replied in a nervous voice. "My name is Nathan."

"Do you have any idea where Frank or Jerry are at?" Kerry asked, impressed by Nathan's polite demeanor despite the stressful situation.

Nathan didn't reply for a moment, he handed Daniel a textbook to read, "Daniel, you can read this for a bit while I try and figure out what's going on with your dad, okay?" he asked.

Daniel nodded and began to quietly read. Kerry watched as Nathan turned his attention to the computer and began typing, "You know, Doctor Weaver, these patient files are a mess and whoever organized them on the computer did a terrible job...While Daniel and I wait for Doctor Malucci to be brought in, I can work on organizing the files a little better..."

Just then, Jerry returned and was surprised to see Nathan at the computer, "Doctor Weaver, who's the kid at the computer?" he asked, wondering if he had been fired.

"That kid, Jerry, is Nathan Romano and for the time being, he's going to be assisting you and Frank," Kerry replied, giving Nathan a smile. "More patients are coming in...where's Frank?"

Jerry shrugged, "I think he's still on break," he replied, peering at the computer screen. "What exactly are you doing to all the patient files?"

"If you have a moment, Jerry, I'll show you," Nathan replied, keeping his eyes on the screen.

Kerry watched for a moment as Nathan kept one eye on Daniel and another eye on the computer and hearing sirens, she ran out to meet the approaching ambulance. She would deal with Nathan later, when it was less chaotic.

* * *

"...Carter, I'm soaked and I'm getting tired," Dave weakly said, fighting to keep awake from his enclosed space. "Is everyone else out of the clinic yet?"

From the other side of the fallen roof, Carter was trying to think of something to say when he suddenly heard footsteps, "Carter, Dave, are you still up here?" Mark said, suddenly coming into view with two paramedics, one of whom Carter recognized to be Shep. "A tow service is working on getting the semi out...There's water everywhere..."

"A water pipe burst, the attic's flooded and I think it's leaking through the floor," Mark heard Dave say from behind the fallen roof. "Have Amy, Abby, and Jeanie gotten everyone to safety?"

Mark nodded and studied the fallen roof, "The last of the victims left in an ambulance about fifteen minutes ago," he replied. "I brought paramedics up here...we're gonna try and get you out."

Before Dave could reply, there was a bang and the floor suddenly creaked. There was silence for a moment and as another bang sounded, the floor suddenly started shaking.

"What's that?" Carter asked, confused by the sudden shaking.

There was another bang and suddenly, there was a loud yell and the floor below Dave collapsed.

"MALUCCI!" Mark yelled, looking over the fallen roof just in time to see Dave hit the floor below and roll to avoid being further injured by the shelf, which barely missed hitting him.

Shep swore and bolted down the stairs, "Tony, get your butt down here, get outside to the rig, and get a backboard and C-collar in here NOW!" he yelled.

Swearing under his breath, Tony Gates, who had just been on the job a week, nodded and bolted down the stairs. Carter looked over the fallen roof and gaped at the hole in the floor.

Carter and Mark ran downstairs just in time to see Shep arguing with Dave, who was laying on the ground, about being strapped down, "I'm claustrophobic, I don't want a neck collar," Dave protested in a tired voice. "Just strap me to a backboard, I'm fine...cold, but fine."

"You fell about ten feet, Malucci," Mark replied as Tony returned and handed the neck collar to Shep. "Just relax and let the paramedics do their job... You could be seriously hurt from the fall."

Abby entered the clinic and frowned at seeing Shep securing a collar around Dave's neck while Tony was strapping him to a backboard, "Dave, are you all right?" she asked with a frown, suddenly realizing that Dave was soaking wet and that there was water on the floor.

"Abby, did everyone get out of here okay?" Dave asked as Tony and Shep lifted the backboard.

Abby nodded, "There were a few major injuries, but no fatalities," she replied. "It helped having those walkie talkies...You were able to keep everyone calm by just giving orders over the walkie talkie...You're a good doctor, Dave, a natural leader..."

"Abby, you were in the middle of things and helped Amy and Jeanie keep things running while I was trapped in the attic," Dave replied. "Did Jeanie get Chase home safely?"

Abby followed Chase and Shep as they carried Dave outside towards the ambulance, unaware that Mark and Carter were following, "Jeanie took Chase out for dinner to calm him down and they're back at the nursing home...Doctor Faith left with the last patient...she's fine."

"Abby, thank you for all your help today," Dave said as he was put into the ambulance. "You're a good doctor and a good person...I'm glad you were there to help run things."

Mark moved past them and climbed into the ambulance, "Carter, I'm going with the paramedics to help keep an eye on Malucci," he said, as he pulled one of the doors closed. "You did a lot of good work today. Maybe you'll get a commendation for it once the chaos dies down."

"Dave deserves that commendation more than I do, Mark," Carter replied, turning away as the door was closed and the ambulance sped off with its sirens wailing.

Suddenly realizing that it was almost dark, Carter turned to Abby, "Since I'm off duty now, do you want to get some dinner?" he asked, taking her hands in his own.

Abby smiled, "I looked into Doctors Without Borders the other day," she explained. "Helping out at Dave's clinic made me realize that I can still be a good doctor...Anyway, I want to see if I can practice medicine somewhere where there aren't any past judgments hurting my confidence."

Carter was silent for a moment and then nodded, "Abby, I've been thinking about us a lot lately," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I love you just the way you are...I want us to be together."

Abby was silent, so Carter got down on one knee and looked up at her, "Abby Lockhart, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said as he held a small box up to her. "Abby, please, I love you with all my heart...Will you marry me?"

"Carter, I can't have any more children, we talked about that," Abby said, worried that Carter would want children immediately after they married. "Are you going to be okay with that?"

Carter nodded, "We don't need children to make us happy," he replied as he opened the box, displaying a beautiful diamond ring. "Please, marry me, and we can make eachother happy."

For a moment, Abby was quiet as tears came to her eyes, "I love you, John," she replied, taking the ring out of the box. "I will marry you...I love you so much."

Overwhelmed with joy, Carter felt tears rolling down his face as he and Abby embraced passionately.

They had both lost a lot, but happiness could and would be regained.

* * *

Having just sent the last major injury upstairs to surgery, Luka came to the desk and found Nathan working on the computer with a stack of charts beside him. Frank and Jerry were at the other end of the desk, trying to make sense of instructions that Nathan had written out.

"Oh, hey Doctor Kovac," Nathan said, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Doctor Weaver asked me to assist Frank and Jerry at the desk...I'm hoping to go visit with Rachel once paramedics get here with Doctor Malucci, but I'm willing to help until things are calmed down..."

Luka looked at him curiously, so Nathan sighed, "Rachel Greene is my girlfriend," he explained. "I brought her to help at the clinic today...She's in the lounge entertaining Lucas, Erinn, Katie, and Daniel...I sent him in there to find something to eat...I didn't want him worrying about his dad."

Before Luka could reply, Amy, who had just finished assessing a patient in the curtain area, came over to the desk, "Well, Nathan, I heard from Doctor Weaver that you've been appointed temporary assistant to the desk clerks," she said, smiling at her eldest son. "Doctor Kovac, the patient in Curtain Area One has a mild concussion and is very coherent..."

Luka nodded and gestured to the crowded waiting area, "There's a lot of people from the clinic waiting in chairs to hear something about Dave," he explained. "I don't know what to tell them."

Suddenly, loud sirens could be heard as an ambulance pulled into the bay, "I think that'll be Dave now," Amy said as she ran out into the ambulance bay. "Coming Doctor Kovac?"

Rolling his eyes, Luka grabbed some goggles and plastic gowns from the desk and came out into the ambulance bay just in time to see Dave, who was wearing a neck collar, an oxygen mask, and had blankets over his body, being unloaded from the ambulance. Luka frowned as he saw Mark come out behind the gurney and immediately place a stethoscope on Dave's chest.

"I'm fine, Doctor Greene, really," Dave replied in a tired voice, pushing the mask away. "I might have broken a couple of ribs when I fell through the floor, but other than that, I'm just tired."

Mark nodded, "I know, you fell asleep en route," he replied. "Luka, meet us in Trauma One."

Luka nodded and watched as Mark, Amy, and the paramedics wheeled Dave into the warm ER.

Within thirty minutes, it had been determined that Dave was not going to die because of his fall. However, the trauma room was in the upmost of chaos, as with any other trauma patient.

"...get some more saline warmed up in the microwave," Mark ordered, watching as Dave's wet clothing was cut off of him and quickly replaced by a gown and heated blankets. "Are those head and neck films back yet?"

Luka entered the room just in time to see Amy talking with Dave, "Squeeze my hand," she gently said, relieved when Dave gave it a firm squeeze. "You need to stay awake for just a little longer..."

"Did anyone die, Amy?" Dave asked, wincing as he felt a needle being jabbed in his arm that was most likely going to be for another IV line. "I heard a lot of people were hurt today..."

Amy nodded, "Yeah, a lot of people were hurt, but nobody died," she replied. "Luka, check his other hand...Dave, I'll see what room's available so you don't have to stay in here all night."

Since the neck collar prevented him from nodding, Dave sighed into the mask, which immediately fogged it up, "I think I broke a couple of ribs, Amy," he said, pushing the mask away. "I fell about ten feet when the attic floor gave out from under me...it was rotten from the water..."

"Head and neck films are back," Haleh said, as she hurried into the trauma room with an envelope in her hand and gave it to Mark.

Mark nodded and put the x-rays on the lightboxes, "Okay, head and neck look clear," he said, quickly studying the x-rays. "Luka, you can take the collar off..."

Luka nodded and undid the collar, "Put this under his head," Amy insisted, grabbing a pillow off a supply shelf and handing it to him. "He'll be more comfortable."

Shep and Tony moved forward as the collar was removed, "Hey, we gotta go," Shep said.

In silence, they unstrapped the backboard and carefully slid it out from underneath Dave. Trying not to show the intense concern they had for

"Dave, Luka is going to take you to Radiology so you can have a chest x-ray," Amy explained, watching as Luka gently lifted Dave's head and laid it down on the pillow. "I'm going to talk to my kids...Nathan really wants to spend time with Rachel...Oh, Doctor Kovac, do you want me to go upstairs and pick your son up from day care for you?"

Realizing that he had completely forgotten about Joe upstairs in day care, Luka nodded, "That would be very nice of you, thanks," he replied, watching as Amy walked off out of the room.

For a moment, Luka was silent and then turned his attention back to Dave, "Haleh, call Radiology and tell them that I'm bringing Dave up for a chest x-ray," he ordered. "I know we could probably get a portable one, but I think Dave could use a break from the chaos..."

"Wake me when we get to Radiology, Luka," Dave quietly stated as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay awake any longer...It's been a long day."

Luka sighed, "I know you're tired, but you have to stay awake until after the x-ray, all right?" he asked, as the nurses raised the gurney rails. "If it will help, I'll talk to you during the x-ray."

Dave nodded and silently stared at the celing as the gurney began to move, "Can someone tell Daniel that I'm all right?" he asked in a tired voice. "I think Nathan is watching him."

"I'll tell him," Mark replied, as he watched Luka move the gurney off down the hallway.

Letting out a deep sigh, Dave relaxed and focused on worrying about what was to come.

* * *

Mark entered the lounge and was surprised to see Rachel cleaning up food stained paper plates from the table and watching as Lucas set up the Nintendo for Erinn, Lucas and Katie. Daniel was lingering at Dave's locker, staring at the floor in deep thought.

"Hey Dad," Rachel said as she deposited the paper plates in the garbage. "Is Nathan still here?"

Mark raised an eyebrow, "Is Nathan the new boyfriend you've been strangely elusive about?" he asked in an intrigued tone. "I heard that you and he were helping at the clinic today."

Rachel blushed, "Nathan talked with Doctor Malucci about it a few days ago," she replied, a frown suddenly crossing her face. "Is Doctor Malucci going to be okay? When we were leaving the scene, I heard that he was trapped in the supply attic for a long time."

At the mention of his father, Daniel looked up at Mark, who met his gaze, "Your dad fell about 10 feet when the attic floor gave out," he explained, ignoring Rachel's shocked look. "The paramedics brought him in...the good news is that he's only got hypothermia because of a broken water pipe and maybe some broken ribs from when he fell...Doctor Kovac took him on a gurney to get an x-ray on his chest...When that's done, he'll probably need to stay overnight and rest."

Daniel nodded, "Can I go see my dad while he's getting the x-ray?" he asked.

"Well, I don't think we'll be able to go into the room, but we can wait in the hallway until the x-ray is over," Mark promised. "Your dad will be happy to see that you're all right."

Rachel smiled at Daniel, "Rachel, I'll mention to Nathan that you're wanting to see him when I go by the desk," Mark stated, as he put an arm on Daniel's shoulder and led him to the door. "If anyone asks, I'll be upstairs in Radiology, keeping Daniel company."

As Mark and Daniel left, Rachel looked back and saw that Lucas had managed to hook up the Nintendo. Erinn was now watching as Lucas and Katie were playing a Mario game quietly.

* * *

Mark and Daniel walked past the desk and saw that Amy was there, talking with Nathan while holding a sleeping Joe in her arms. Mark silently wondered why Amy was watching Joe.

"I'm going to take Daniel upstairs to Radiology and wait for the x-ray to be done," Mark said, stopping briefly so that Daniel could see that Amy was all right.

Amy sighed, "Actually, Dave started panicking before they got to the elevator, so Luka ordered a portable x-ray and is settling Dave into the suture room for the night," she replied, allowing herself a smile. "Apparently, Luka put a stat on the chest x-ray and it should be ready any moment now...I think Dave's asleep by now, though."

"Can I go see my dad?" Daniel asked, wondering where the suture room was.

Smiling, Amy moved around the desk, "Well, I think Nathan can handle the desk for a few minutes until Frank and Jerry get back," she replied. "I can take Daniel down to the suture room and that way I can give Joe to Luka...I think he's missing his daddy."

Mark nodded and watched as Amy walked off down the hall with Joe and Daniel.

"I think my mom and Doctor Kovac like each other, Doctor Greene," Nathan commented, as he had noticed how his mom acted around Joe. "I don't know if I like Doctor Kovac, though.."

Mark raised an eyebrow at Nathan, "Why don't you like Doctor Kovac?" he asked, curious.

Before Nathan could reply, Rachel came out of the lounge, "Lucas said that he can watch Katie and Erinn for a few minutes so I could come see you," she said as she walked over to the desk.

"Um, Rachel, I'm working and I don't think Doctor Greene would like it if you started kissing me right in front of him," Nathan said, casting a rather sheepish look in Mark's direction.

Both Rachel and Mark looked at him incredulously, causing Nathan to sigh, "A few hours ago, Doctor Weaver was here and she says that I now have a job as a clerk in training," he explained. "It's only a part-time job because I'm a minor and still in school...My mom said I could do it."

As if to prove his point, Nathan sighed and pointed to an ID badge that was clipped to a string around his neck, "It's a temporary one until I can go through a proper orientation with Frank or Jerry...They worked hard when the ER was slammed, so I sent them to the cafeteria to eat."

Mark and Rachel were silent, "What?" Nathan said, suddenly self-conscious. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Mark commented.

"They're for reading, otherwise I can see fine," Nathan replied. "Are they a problem?"

Suddenly nervous, Nathan swallowed and turned his attention back to the computer and the large stack of undocumented charts beside it. "I have a lot of work to do and I'm not sure when Frank or Jerry will come back," he stated. "I'm sorry that our date ended in chaos, Rachel..."

Mark could suddenly sense that Nathan was self-conscious and put a hand on Rachel's shoulder, "Rachel, why don't we go up to the cafeteria and get some dinner?" he suggested.

Before Rachel could protest, Mark led her off down the hallway towards the elevators.

* * *

"Look, I don't CARE if Doctor Anspaugh wants to see Dave," Mark heard the angry voice of Amy say as he and Rachel were near the elevators.

Frowning, Mark steered Rachel in the direction of the suture room and saw Amy and Kerry standing outside the suture room in a face off, "...I understand that Doctor Malucci is tired, but it's important that he speaks with Doctor Anspaugh right away," Kerry replied, her voice nervous.

"I'll go talk to Doctor Anspaugh first, since I know he wants to talk to me too," Amy replied, quieting her voice so that she wouldn't wake Dave. "Just show me to the Admin floor."

Kerry was silent for a moment as she gazed through the window and saw that Dave was fast asleep on a gurney covered by blankets with IV poles nearby. She also saw another gurney next to him that Daniel was asleep on. Dave and Daniel's hands were locked together. Luka was at the other end of the room, rummaging through the supply cupboards while holding Joe in his arms.

"I'll take you upstairs," Kerry said softly as she turned back towards Amy.

Amy nodded and the two women walked off towards the elevators. Rachel looked at Mark.

"Is Doctor Malucci going to be okay, Dad?" Rachel asked, her voice trembling.

Mark nodded, "He will be after some sleep," he replied, suddenly breaking off as the door opened and Luka walked out of the room with Joe in his arms.

"Dave's got a foley in him and I gave him 10 of Haldol so he wouldn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night," Luka explained. "I also gave him some fluids for dehydration...Daniel wanted to be near his dad tonight, so I stole a gurney from another room...It's been a long day."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Why would Doctor Malucci wake up screaming in the middle of the night?" she asked Luka. "I thought my dad said that he was going to be okay."

"Doctor Malucci spent most the day trapped in a small space under a shelf with water from a broken pipe falling on him," Mark gently explained. "After a day of being trapped, Doctor Malucci might find it overwhelming being in a more open space until after he rests..."

Rachel was silent for a moment, "Doctor Kovac, if Doctor Malucci wasn't sedated, do you think he might be nervous around people like Nathan is?" she asked.

"Rachel, I think we should go up to the cafeteria and get some dinner," Mark interjected. "While you're eating, I'll probably phone Elizabeth and Ella and fill them in on today's events."

Nodding, Rachel allowed herself to be led away by Mark, who wanted to prevent gossip.

For a moment, Luka stood there, unsure of what to do and then, realizing that Joe had fallen asleep in his arms, he sighed and walked back towards the desk. Once he made sure everything was okay, he would get his coat from the lounge and go home for the evening.

* * *

At the desk, Frank and Jerry stood near the board watching as Nathan slept just to the right of the computer. They had covered him with a lab coat from under the desk, but he hadn't stirred.

Luka stopped at the desk and hoisting Joe to his shoulder, he wondered why Frank and Jerry were giving him odd looks, "Do I have something on my face?" he asked.

Frank gestured to a spot near the computer and suddenly seeing that Nathan had fallen asleep at the desk, Luka smiled, "How long has he been like that?" he asked.

"About half an hour, he took some iron pills and then said he was going to rest for a bit," Frank replied. "Is the kid anemic or something?"

Luka didn't reply and placed a gentle hand on Nathan's shoulder, "Nathan, wake up," he said in a gentle tone.

Moaning, Nathan lifted his head and was surprised to see Luka standing there, "Oh, Doctor Kovac, I must have dozed off after taking my iron pills," he said in an apologetic tone as he straightened up. "I hope Doctor Weaver didn't catch me sleeping on shift..."

"Doctor Weaver took your mom upstairs to talk with Doctor Anspaugh about something," Luka replied. "You should take your siblings and go home, it's getting late."

Blinking, Nathan rose from his chair and walked over to the lounge door, "Hey, Lucas, Katie, time to get off the Nintendo," he said, pushing open the lounge door. "Erinn, please get their coats and mine so we can get to the EL...Grandpa Rocket's still upstairs working..."

"Katie's asleep, she's gonna whine if I wake her up," Erinn's voice filtered out of the lounge.

Nathan sighed, "I'll give her some ice cream when we get home, just don't tell Grandpa Rocket I said that," he replied. "Please, Erinn, I don't have the patience to wake her myself."

"All right," Erinn's voice replied. "Lucas, get off the Nintendo...Katie, time to wake up."

As Nathan allowed the door to close, Luka gave him a look, "Kids shouldn't be riding the EL this late at night by themselves, does your mom know you're going to do that?" he asked.

"With the clinic gone, my mom doesn't need to worry about us right now," Nathan replied, annoyed that he was being interrogated. "I've ridden the EL alone at night before and nothing bad has happened...If anyone tries to attack us, I know self defense and so does Lucas."

Luka grabbed Nathan's arm before he could walk away, "Your mom lets you ride the EL at night by yourself?" he asked, not believing that Amy would be so irresponsible with her eldest.

"I don't ask permission, I just do it," Nathan replied, jerking his arm out of Luka's grip. "She and my grandpa are always worrying that I'm gonna get killed, but I won't."

Luka sighed, "If you just wait a minute, I can take you and your siblings home," he offered. "I only have a car, but it's safer and more comfortable than being on the EL...If you want, Joe and I can even wait at your house until your mom or grandfather get home...to make sure you are safe."

The lounge door opened and Lucas and Erinn, who was carrying a sleepy Katie, came out of the lounge wearing their jackets and gloves. Nathan and Luka stared at one another in silence.

"Here's your coat, Nathan," Erinn said as she passed him a windbreaker that looked barely big enough to fit him. "Anyway, I think we missed the train, the next one's not due for a while..."

"Um, we're getting a ride with Doctor Kovac and his kid," Nathan said, avoiding the confused looks that both Lucas and Erinn were giving him as he put his coat on. "It's too cold to walk."

Before Erinn could reply, Nathan glared at Luka and walked outside, "Don't take it personal, Doctor Kovac," Erinn said. "Nathan's got some problems...he doesn't like to talk to just anyone about them...He just needs a minute by himself and he'll be okay."

"It's a good thing my car is parked on the street," Luka replied. "Are you ready to go?"

Erinn nodded and whispered to Katie, who nodded sleepily. Lucas hesitated for a moment and then looked at Luka and silently nodded. They were going to have to trust Dr. Kovac. Even though he seemed very mysterious, there was no choice but to trust him.

There was continued silence as Luka led the children out into the cold night.

* * *

Within the safety of the Carter Mansion, John and Abby sat at the kitchen table as around them, kitchen staff worked to prepare a late night engagement dinner for the happy couple.

Not that anyone actually knew they were engaged, yet when the two had entered the house through the kitchen, the staff had immediately began making something for them to eat.

"When do you want to get married, John?" Abby asked as she grabbed a stale biscuit from a basket on the table and began to nibble on it. "I don't want to plan anything really big."

John was silent for a moment and broke into a smile, "Why don't we go get a license in the morning and then go to a church or courthouse and just get married?" he suggested.

Abby gave John a disbelieving look, "Are you serious?" she asked.

"Well, since you don't want anything big or fancy, why don't we just go hire a priest?" John replied, a smile on his lips. "We need some witnesses, maybe a few of the nurses will help with that..."

Abby was silent for a moment and then she looked thoughtful, "John, would it make you upset if I wanted Dave to give me away?" she asked. "He let me work in his clinic and because he trusted me with patients, it motivated me to look into Doctors Without Borders..."

"I can go by the ER in the morning," John replied, smiling at her. "I'm sure that Dave was admitted overnight because of hypothermia and the fall he took...Luka probably gave him some haldol.."

At the mention of Luka giving Dave haldol, Abby suddenly broke into giggles, "I was just thinking of when Luka injected Dave with haldol when he didn't understand April Fools Day," she replied, an amused smile on her lips. "Anyway, that's the past and you...you are my future, John."

John nodded and, rising from his chair, he moved around to where Abby was sitting.

In silence, John leaned inward and very quickly, he and Abby were kissing passionately.

* * *

As Luka sat on Amy's couch watching Joe sleep in his arms, he listened to the sounds of Lucas gently directing Erinn and Katie to bed for the night while trying to get ready for bed himself.

"Lucas, I can handle putting Katie to bed," Luka heard Erinn say. "Go make sure that Nathan isn't doing anything stupid...I haven't heard anything from the backyard for about half an hour..."

There were footsteps and Luka saw Lucas come into the living room wearing sleep pants, a t-shirt, "Doctor Kovac, have you heard anything from the backyard in the last half hour?"

"No, should I have?" Luka asked, as Lucas took a seat on the couch next to him.

Lucas looked down at the sleeping Joe, "Sometimes when Nathan's had a rough day, he'll spend a lot of time in the backyard," he explained. "He likes to box with a punching bag that Doctor Malucci got him a few years ago...Mom lets him do it as long as he keeps the noise down."

Luka was silent, so Luka continued, "When Nathan was 13, he beat the crap out of some kids at school and would have done jail time if Doctor Malucci hadn't talked with the judge," he explained, feeling he could trust Luka enough to tell. "Against medical recommendations, the judge made Nathan undergo electroshock psychotherapy strapped to a table...it almost killed him..."

Afraid that Nathan would walk in and overhear him telling a complete stranger about past issues, Lucas went quiet for a moment, "How long have you and my mom known eachother, Doctor Kovac?" he asked, as he knew that there was chemistry between his mother and this man.

"I first met her back in October," Luka explained, smiling at Nathan. "We didn't talk much, but I have to admit that I hadn't seen a woman like her in a long time..."

Lucas nodded, "She's a good mom to all of us," he replied. "Maybe you should go check on Nathan...After about 45 minutes of boxing, he begins to get slightly aggressive on the bag.."

The back door suddenly opened and Luka heard footsteps, "Lucas, I'm going to get ready for bed," Luka heard Nathan say. "I'm tired...I want to take a shower first and then I'm turning in."

Remaining silent, Lucas rose from the couch and moved off to the kitchen.

A moment later, Luka heard the back door being closed and locked.

Almost immediately, Lucas returned to the living room, "If you're okay down here by yourself, Doctor Kovac, I think I'm going to turn in for the night," he said. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge if you or Joe get hungry..."

Luka nodded and watched as Lucas left the room and shortly heard footsteps going up the stairs.

Before he could figure out what to do, the phone on the table rang. Being careful not wake Joe, Luka shifted him to his other arm and grabbed the phone off the cradle.

"Hello...Amy?" Luka said into the receiver. "Oh, the meeting is still going on and you're just waiting for Weaver, Romano, and Anspaugh to finish talking?...Okay, so after the meeting, you want to stay to keep an eye on Dave and Daniel?...I can stay with your kids tonight and make sure they go to school in the morning and that Nathan does his homework...If you're tired, don't take the EL in this weather...All right...Please get some rest if you can...See you in the morning...bye."

Fighting off a yawn, Luka hung up the phone and gently shifted Joe back to his other arm.

As Luka sat there with his sleeping son in his arms, he happened to look out the side window and watched in surprise as heavy snow began to fall. He suddenly realized that being here under Amy's roof, watching her many kids, brought a long lost peace to his burdened soul.

All seemed to be peaceful that winter night. If only for a short space of time.


	14. Changes Come With Passing Time

Vaguely aware of the presence of noise, Dave opened his eyes and saw Haleh standing over him with a thermometer in her hand, "Morning Doctor Malucci," she said. "Doctor Faith, he's awake."

Hearing footsteps, Dave blinked and suddenly saw Amy come into view, "Don't try and sit up by yourself, all right?" she said. "Haleh, can you lift the bed while I set up the x-ray?"

Dave suddenly felt the bed being raised and as he found himself more upright, he saw Amy standing at the lightbox, looking at an x-ray. He figured it must be the x-ray of his ribs.

"It looks like you got lucky, Dave, none of your ribs are broken," Amy said as she skimmed the x-ray and shut the light box off. "You'll be sore for a few days, but that will eventually pass."

Dave suddenly noticed that there was no gurney beside him like there was the night before, "Where's Daniel at?" he asked in a groggy voice. "He was sleeping right next to me..."

"Doctor Greene came at about five this morning and took Daniel to breakfast with him and Rachel," Amy replied. "He also took Daniel to school and told the school to not let anyone bother him unnecessarily."

Trying not to show how tired he still felt, Dave sighed, "How long am I supposed to be a patient here?" he asked as he felt Haleh insert a thermometer into his ear. "As much as I love the ER, I have to go see if anything can be salvaged from the clinic which is now reduced to beams and rubble...Sorry, Amy, I shouldn't get upset at you about it."

"Temp's normal," Haleh said as she removed the thermometer. "I can get that IV out if you want."

Suddenly realizing that there was still one IV line in his arm, Dave nodded, "That would actually be really nice, thank you," he replied. "Hey, Amy, what time is it anyway?"

There was silence and the sudden sound of water running, "I think it's about nine," Amy replied as she came out of the bathroom. "You are in definite need of a warm shower, Dave."

"I thought Luka put me in the suture room last night." Dave stated, suddenly realizing that he wasn't in the suture room anymore. "From what I remember, there's no bathroom in there."

Amy smiled, "Doctor Greene moved you upstairs to a private room when he took Daniel this morning," she explained. "He thought you could use a little privacy when you woke up."

Wincing as Haleh pulled the IV out, Dave took a deep breath and painstakingly got to his feet, immediately regretting it when he felt pain, "You were right that I'd be sore," he said.

"Just take a deep breath and relax," Amy said as she and Haleh helped Dave walk into the bathroom and step into the shower. "Haleh, I can stay with Doctor Malucci...could you please go tell Doctor Weaver that we'll be there in about twenty minutes or so?"

Haleh nodded and left the bathroom, "Why does Doctor Weaver want to see me?" Dave asked, as Amy handed him an unwrapped bar of soap. "Am I in trouble for the whole clinic fiasco?"

"Dave, just relax and use the soap," Amy instructed as she reached for the small bottles of shampoo that were on the counter. "There's some shampoo and conditioner here as well."

Dave quickly soaped and rinsed himself off, "Can you pass me the shampoo and conditioner, please?" he asked Amy. "If Weaver wants to see me, I might as well clean up good."

Amy passed him the bottles, "I'm sure you're not in trouble, Dave," she replied, hanging a towel over the shower. "I got you some scrubs and your white coat from your locker..."

After mixing some of the shampoo and conditioner together, Dave massaged the concoction into his hair and scalp, "Maybe after this meeting, you and I could catch a taxi down to the clinic site and see if anything can be salvaged...I may go to an employment center later this week to see if there are any temp jobs at doctor's offices...Maybe I can do some clerking or janitorial work."

In silence, Dave rinsed his hair and turned off the shower, "Dave, maybe we should wait on going to the clinic site until we know what's happening," Amy said as she walked back into the room.

Seeing that Amy's back was turned so he could dress in private, Dave quickly dried himself off. It felt good being clean.

Slowly moving out of the shower, he moved over to the dark blue scrubs that were on the bed to get dressed.

* * *

The elevator dinged as the door slid open, revealing a quiet Administration floor.

Now both dressed in blue scrubs and white coats, Dave and Amy stepped off the elevator, "..You said you didn't want a wheelchair, Dave," Amy said, as she helped him walk down the hallway.

"I'm a little sore, but I'd rather be seen walking to the meeting that will probably send me back into unemployment and practicing street medicine," Dave replied. "Since my hospital bill was paid off on midnight Christmas Day, I don't expect that County will need me around any longer."

Amy gave Dave a mock glare, "Don't be so negative," she said, as she and Dave walked into the waiting area just outside Dr. Anspaugh and Dr. Romano's offices. "Do you want to sit down?"

Before Dave could reply, Dr. Anspaugh's office door opened, "Ah, Doctor Malucci, Doctor Romano" Dr. Anspaugh said as he stepped out of his office. "Would you both come in?"

Exchanging a look with Amy, Dave allowed her to help him into the office and was very surprised to see Dr. Romano, Dr. Weaver, and Carter already there. Upon seeing the pain in Dave's eyes, Carter stood and offered Dave his seat, but Dave waved it off. He didn't want special treatment.

"Dave, have a seat," Amy said, knowing that Dave was not going to admit that he was both tired and sore from the previous day's experience.

Feeling horrible, as he assumed he was getting walking papers, Dave sat and waited for someone to tell him that he was no longer needed, "Doctor Carter, if you could please close the door," Dr. Romano ordered in a stern voice. "This meeting will be short and sweet."

Carter nodded and closed the door, "Donald, let's cut with the dramatics, shall we?" Dr. Romano said, gazing at Dr. Anspaugh. "It's a busy day and Doctor Carter shouldn't be late for his big day."

"Big day, Carter?" Dave asked, giving Carter a surprised look. "Are you getting married?"

Carter smiled, "Yeah, I proposed to Abby last night and we just decided to get married today," he replied in a gleeful tone. "She's off getting the marriage license and we'll meet up later."

"As romantic as that sounds, Doctor Carter, we need to attend to present business," Dr. Anspaugh stated with a smile. "Doctor Malucci, we need to talk about your employment status."

Dave nodded and swallowed hard, "Yes, sir," he replied, trying to steady his voice.

"Since an opening in the ER staff roster has recently manifested itself, I've met with both Doctor Weaver and Doctor Romano and we've come to a decision," Dr. Anspaugh explained as he looked directly at Dave. "I'm prepared to offer you a position as a full time ER Attending with appropriate pay and a flexible schedule so that you can balance work with looking after your son."

Unsure as to whether or not Dr. Anspaugh was kidding, Dave's eyes widened, "Are you absolutely certain that everyone in positions of authority are okay with me becoming an ER Attending?" he asked, as he was certain that Dr. Weaver couldn't have agreed to give him such responsibility at County, given his past, very unpredictable, history with the hospital.

"Doctor Carter recommended you and he said that he couldn't imagine anyone more appropriate for his position than you, Doctor Malucci," Dr. Weaver interjected, as if reading Dave's mind.

Dave gave Carter a shocked look, "You're leaving County?" he asked anxiously. "Why?"

"Abby wants to go work in Africa with Doctors Without Borders and I'm going to join her in using my medical skills to help those who don't have access to proper help," Carter stated with a fond smile. "Once our visas come through, we'll be leaving for Kisangani...I can afford to take some time off until then, yet County needs a full staff to run at peak efficiency."

"Does Doctor Greene know about this?" Dave asked, as he was unsure how Dr. Greene would react to his staying on staff permanently. "I don't want to make waves among the current ER staff."

Dr. Romano sighed, "He WILL know and he'll just have to be okay with it," he replied.

Dave looked at Amy, "What are you going to do, Amy?" he asked. "You don't have any other work now that the clinic is gone. You have four kids to support and I only have one..."

Amy smiled, "Actually, my future employment was discussed at the meeting last night," she replied. "I will be doing both per diem shifts and floater work in the ER from now on...I'm going to also volunteer at nursing homes and doctor's offices, so I'll be all right."

"Look, Doctor Malucci, we're running short on time," Dr. Anspaugh spoke up, seeing that Carter was checking his watch. "I would really like to know if you want the Attending position..."

Dave sighed, "All right, Doctor Anspaugh, I would be honored to accept the Attending position," he replied in a tone that indicated that he was relieved to have a job. "When do I start?"

Dr. Anspaugh smiled and rose, "Excellent, why don't you and Doctor Carter come downstairs with me so I can make the announcement to the ER staff?" he said. "I think you can start as an Attending tomorrow, just as long as your parenting schedule permits such a thing..."

Rising from his seat, Dave nodded, "Thank you, Doctor Anspaugh," he replied.

Dr. Anspaugh nodded and walked out, motioning for both him and Carter to follow.

Carter rose and even though he was scared, Dave followed Carter from the office.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm going to be covering Dave's ER shift so that he can go to John and Abby's wedding and get some rest afterwards," Amy said, as she, Dr. Romano, and Dr. Weaver rose and left Dr. Anspaugh's office. "It's been a while since I worked in a hospital, but I'm hoping that Doctor Weaver will be kind enough to help me re-orient myself..."

Kerry nodded, "I'll do my best to help you feel comfortable in an ER again," she replied.

"Excellent," Dr. Romano commented. "Well, ladies, I have some paperwork calling my name and then I am going to get Nathan from the cafeteria and go home. Have a good day."

After giving each other a studious look, Amy and Kerry walked off towards the elevators.

* * *

Having gotten Amy's kids to school and ensured that Nathan was doing his homework while waiting in the cafeteria for his grandfather to get off work, Luka walked into the ER with Joe on his shoulder.

"Luka, you're late," Mark, who was at the desk with Frank, commented as he took a chart from the rack and skimmed it. "The board's filling up...I thought you were on shift last night as well."

"Doctor Weaver pulled Amy into some administration meeting and I decided to drive her kids back to Doctor Romano's place," Luka admitted. "Amy decided to stay to keep an eye on Dave and Daniel last night, so she asked me to stay with her kids to make sure they would be okay."

Mark gave Luka a surprised look, but before he could reply, he suddenly saw Dr. Anspaugh and Carter coming down the hallway with a nervous looking Dave walking behind them.

"Doctor Greene, Doctor Kovac, do you have time for an impromptu staff meeting at the desk?" Dr. Anspaugh asked. "I have to make a little announcement that I think you both should hear."

Mark and Luka exchanged a look, but remained silent, "I would just like to announce that as of today, Doctor Carter will be leaving the ER staff to work in Africa," Dr. Anspaugh stated. "I am also very pleased to announce that Doctor Malucci has just been hired on as an ER Attending and that Doctor Amy Romano will also be doing shifts in the ER from time to time..."

Mark's eyes widened, but Luka didn't look altogether shocked, "To make Doctor Malucci's recent appointment official, I would now like to present Doctor Malucci with his new ID badge," Dr. Anspaugh said as he took a newly made ID badge out of his pocket and placed it in Dave's hand. "Congratulations, Doctor Malucci, may your career flourish here at County General. "

Grinning, Dr. Anspaugh walked off back towards the elevators, passing Kerry and Amy, who was already wearing a new County ID badge on her white coat, as they came down the hallway.

"Dave, shouldn't you and John already be leaving?" Amy asked as she and Kerry came to the admit desk. "I think that Abby is waiting for you two outside by now..."

At the mention of Abby, Luka tensed up and silently walked off into the lounge with Joe. He didn't want to hear about Abby.

Dave shrugged, "I'm sure she's waiting for Carter, but as far as I know, I'm just going back to Luka's and sleeping until I have to pick up Daniel from school at three-thirty," he replied.

"Well, come on, I can give you a ride," Carter offered. "Frank, can I have Dave's coat?"

Frank nodded and reaching under the desk, he pulled out Dave's outdoor coat. Carter took it and handed it to Dave, who put it on while giving Carter a confused look.

"Amy and I have to go to the clinic to see what can be salvaged," Dave protested, as Carter placed a hand on his shoulder and gently steered him towards the exit doors.

"Dave, I'm working in the ER today," Amy replied with a smile. "Enjoy your day off."

At that, Dave remained silent and allowed Carter to lead him out into the ambulance bay.

* * *

As they reached the edge of the ambulance bay, Dave stopped in his tracks at the sight of Abby leaning against a limo that was parked down the street. Carter walked over to Abby.

"Dave, can I talk to you for a minute?" Abby asked as she walked over to him.

Dave nodded, but didn't say anything, so Abby continued, "Carter and I were talking last night and I was wondering if you could do something for me," she said. "I'd like you to give me away, Dave."

Dave's eyes widened, but Abby spoke first, "I don't have a dad and you're the one who helped me to believe in myself as a doctor again," she explained. "I would like you to do this for me."

Dave was silent for a moment and then nodded, "I would be honored to give you away, Abby," he said in a strong, yet very reverent, voice. "Thank you for asking me."

"We should get going," Abby said, taking Dave's hand. "We booked the church for 11."

Trying not to show that he was feeling overwhelmed by the new responsibilities that he was being given, Dave nodded and followed Abby to the limo where Carter was waiting with the door open.

* * *

Hearing the lounge door open, Luka opened his eyes and looked down to see that Joe was still in his arms and had fallen asleep. He looked up to see Amy standing at the sink.

"I don't think Doctor Weaver will be happy if she comes in here and finds you sleeping," Amy stated, as she moved over to the fridge and opened it. "Is there actually anything edible in here?"

Luka gave Amy an odd look, "I didn't know you were doing a per diem shift today," he stated, as he gently lifted Joe to his shoulder and stood up. "I thought you'd go to Carter's wedding."

"Dave's giving Abby away, so I'm working in the trenches so he can have the whole day off," Amy replied, shutting the door to the fridge. "Yesterday was kind of hard on him, he needs the rest."

Luka raised an eyebrow, "You had a hard day yesterday, how come you're not taking the day off to rest?" he asked, gently bouncing the waking Joe so he wouldn't cry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm all right, I slept last night after the meeting," Amy replied. "I can sleep in a chair quite well...Besides, with Dave sedated and Daniel sound asleep, there was nothing else to do."

Amy suddenly gave Luka a concerned look, "Did my kids get up on time and ready for the day all right?" she asked. "School's not back in yet, but they go to the school library for free study...There are teachers there during the holidays that are more than happy to help my kids learn. "

"I took Lucas, Erinn, and Katie to the school, but Nathan didn't want to go," Luka replied, a tone of concern in his voice. "He said that he'd rather come here and wait for his grandfather to take him home...I left him in the cafeteria with a worker watching him and came to the ER with Joe."

Amy nodded, "He'll probably go to my father's office and wait there," she replied. "He's not a fan of cafeterias...he says that they smell like puke and they remind him of school, which he hates."

"Lucas mentioned last night that Nathan was put through electroshock therapy when he was 13," Luka commented, concerned. "Is that why-"

Luka was suddenly cut off by Kerry entering the lounge, "Luka, you should probably take your son up to day care, as they are wondering where Joe is," she stated. "If you're ready, Amy, I'm now available to take you on a detailed tour of the ER and give you a brief re-orientation."

"We can talk later, when it's not so busy," Amy whispered to Luka before smiling and following Kerry out of the lounge to begin her new job as an ER per diem doctor.

Luka nodded and gazing down at the now awake Joe, he smiled and left the lounge to take Joe to daycare.

* * *

Across the city, Dave took a seat on the pew next to Haleh and watched as Carter and Abby drew closer together and gazed at the priest for further instructions.

After arriving at the church, Abby had disappeared to change into a beautiful pink dress that she had bought right after getting the marriage license. Her mother had been there and had helped her get dressed. Maggie was now sitting on one of the back pews, excited for this day.

The ceremony had begun promptly at 11 and since then, the priest had talked about the sacredness of marriage and short, but very meaningful vows, had been exchanged.

Dave had then properly given Abby away and had taken a seat next to Haleh, who had taken the morning off to be a witness at the wedding per Abby's request. They now watched as the priest prepared to lead the couple through their final vows before declaring them married.

The priest smiled, "John, repeat after me," he instructed. "I, John take you, Abby, to be my lawfully wedded/wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

As Carter nodded and began to repeat the words, Dave looked down and began to remember about his own wedding day. It was in a church very much like the one he was in now.

Because of the lack of money for a proper wedding, Dave had waited at the church in an old Sunday suit while Amy helped Dana dress in a gown that they had made from scrap fabric.

Thankfully, there was a priest that had agreed to marry them for free. With only Amy and a church janitor as witnesses, he and Dana had been married in a small, yet very spiritual ceremony.

Sudden organ music brought Dave out of his reminiscence and he looked up just in time to see the priest introducing Mr. and Mrs. John Carter to the small crowd.

Putting a smile on his face, Dave rose with Haleh as Abby and Carter shared yet another kiss.

Together, they clapped and cheered as the newlywed couple walked back down the aisle and towards the church doors. Dave smiled, he was very happy for that one peaceful event.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, the ER had quieted down and Luka came out of the Curtain Area with a chart in his hands. He saw Amy at the desk with Dr. Romano and Nathan, who had a laptop under his arm and looked exhausted. Frank was also at the desk, working on the computer.

"...Nathan, when you and your grandfather get home, I want you to have a nap," Amy was saying as Luka approached the desk and set the chart in the overflowing rack. "You did a lot of school work today, maybe a little too much...I don't want you doing anything strenuous today."

Nathan nodded and Dr. Romano nudged him, "Are you okay to drive?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, sir," Nathan replied, as his gaze met Luka's. "Can we go now?"

Dr. Romano nodded and, breathing a sigh of relief, Nathan turned and walked outside.

"I have half a mind to slip a sleeping pill into that Nathan's juice," Dr. Romano muttered, exasperated that Nathan was continually withdrawing away from kindness.

"Just make sure he doesn't do anymore homework today," Amy replied, fighting to keep a straight face. "Maybe you should take him out for a quiet lunch before you go home..."

Dr. Romano whispered something to Amy and Amy nodded before turning away from Luka's view.

As Dr. Romano left the ER, Luka walked over to Amy and saw that she was crying.

"What's wrong?" Luka whispered as he moved close to her so Frank wouldn't overhear them.

Amy blinked and wiped the tears from her face, "I'm so scared that my kids are gonna grow up and hate me for all that's happened," she softly replied. "I'm scared for the future..."

Even though he would probably be seen and given comments later, Luka lifted his arms and pulled Amy close to him in a hug. Amy rested her tear-stained face on his chest and relaxed.

Before she realized what she was doing, Amy looked up into Luka's eyes and kissed him.

Luka was caught off guard, yet he didn't pull away. Instead, he prolonged the lip lock.

Sirens suddenly came into hearing range, yet neither of them responded.

"Um, can we keep the PDA's out of the Admit area?" Frank asked, annoyed at the kissing.

Suddenly remembering that they were in the middle of the ER, Amy and Luka pulled apart just in time to see an ambulance pull into the bay with its sirens wailing.

After giving eachother a look to not tell anyone about their kiss, the two doctors ran around the desk and as the ambulance came closer to the doors, they ran outside to help another patient.

It was just another day and with it, came the opportunity to save more lives.

* * *

**All right, so that is the end of "Time Stops for No Changes." ... I hope the story was enjoyed.  
**

**The next story will be "Journeys of Faith" and will pick up not long after the last story. It will deal with the increased stress that Dave now feels in having to balance single parenthood and working as an Attending, along with unsettled demons from his prior work there. The deepening of Amy and Luka's relationship and what that means for everyone that is close to them will also be explored, as well as how the past can irreparably damage any future hope. Carter and Abby's choice to practice medicine in Africa and their new colleagues will also be brought to light. Multiple journeys and extreme tests of faith will be undertaken when an unexpected crisis forces people out of their comfort zones and head-on into extreme danger...  
**


End file.
